Why Tākaro?
Why is a game like Tākaro important?
The development of Tākaro comes from the need to expose Māori to opportunities in ICT and the digital world.
Tākaro is a pathway to digital interactivity. It will provide an immersive learning environment that is fun and engaging but most importantly it will give the participant an opportunity to see how their progress relates to what they are learning and the relevancy to technical knowledge.
Tākaro is an interactive game that enables rangatahi (young Māori) to understand coding concepts and systems thinking through a hands-on, reactive environment through the application of game design and web-based technology.
The goal is to ensure rangatahi can participate in the digital world as Māori by offering a tool or pathway to increase interest in studying technology.
Māori participation within the digital sector is very low. Only 1 percent of those studying technology in tertiary education are Māori and only 2.5 percent working in the technology sector are working in technology.
A barrier for Māori is the lack of finances or exposure to career opportunities that many other New Zealanders have, this then leads to lower qualifications and lower incomes.
Enrolments in higher qualifications is lower for Māori compared to Non-Maori (MBIE, 2015).
The ICT sector is growing and provides a strong incentive to encourage rangatahi to qualify in highly paid professions in the world where job prospects are high. Studies show that employment rates of Māori increase as their level of education increase (Māori Labour Market, 2014).
However, the benefit of this game is not only to encourage Māori but non-Māori as well. What benefits Māori benefits all of New Zealand.
