The two men wanted to provide a "marae of learning" as an educational alternative for the large number of predominantly Māori students who were being expelled from Te Awamutu College.

[citation needed] During the 1980s, a time of high unemployment in New Zealand, the kaupapa (philosophy) of the Waipā Kōkiri Arts Centre was to increase Māori participation in tertiary training by taking education to the people, particularly those without qualifications.

With travel being a major barrier for many, the founders began opening campuses in other areas, including Te Kūiti, Hamilton and Manukau.

[citation needed] In 1987, Buck Nin, a leading New Zealand educationalist and artist,[5] and Mr Wetere advanced the concept of creating a tertiary education institute, or wānanga.

Dr Nin believed that, by gaining tertiary status, Aotearoa Institute would earn recognition for its qualifications throughout New Zealand and the world.

The same year (1989), Waipā Kōkiri Arts Centre changed its name to Aotearoa Institute and shortly afterwards became the first registered private training establishment (under NZQA) in the country.

[citation needed] In 2005, the government appointed a group of Crown managers to help consolidate the organisation and implement systems and processes befitting a nationwide institution.

Attendance at whare wānanga was a privilege, with stringent selection processes ensuring that only the most capable students were chosen to receive the knowledge that was to be shared.

In the modern context, wānanga retain their status as places of higher learning, alongside universities and polytechnics as recognised tertiary institutions in New Zealand.

[citation needed] A key objective is to remove barriers to tertiary education, including economic, geographical, family and work commitments, and previous negative experiences.

To achieve this, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa minimises fees, maximises programme options and locations, offers flexible learning hours and provides student support.