Celebrating 150 years of teacher education in Otago
Hoki whakamuri, kia anga whakamua – Look to the past to forge the future
Date: Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October 2026
Venue: University of Otago
E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā uri o ngā hau e whā o Tāwhirimātea, tēnā koutou katoa.
Koutou, ngā ika a Whiro, me ngā kaimahi hoki o Te Kura Ākau Taitoka me Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka, nau mai, hoki mai, e tau, e tau, e tau.
In 2026, Te Kura Ākau Taitoka ki Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka – the University of Otago College of Education – celebrates 150 years of initial teacher education in Otago.
Central to our celebration is a reunion of past alumni on the weekend of 16-18 October 2026.
Programme
Please see the 'Programme' tab for some highlights of this celebration. More information will be supplied in due course.
Registration
Early bird registrations are now open.
About the celebration
Otago is a place of many firsts. The Dunedin Training College was first established in 1876 for educating primary school teachers. This was a first both for the province and for New Zealand.
Education has always been highly valued in Otago. Ōtepoti Dunedin is also where the first kindergartens and the first high school for girls in New Zealand were established.
Teachers and those intending to teach comprised a significant proportion of students at the University of Otago, which provided its first courses in education in 1905.
Our current University of Otago College of Education – Te Kura Ākau Taitoka – was created on 1 January 2007 through the merger of the University of Otago with the Dunedin College of Education.
The University of Otago College of Education has an established reputation for excellence in education and the professional education of teachers, taking full advantage of the established traditions of both former institutions through combined staff expertise in teaching and research.
To all alumni who have been part of the proud legacy of teacher education in Ōtepoti Dunedin, we hope you can join us here in October 2026 to maintain, renew and make new connections, and to celebrate all that has been and all that is yet to come.
Nau mai, tauti mai koutou – we would love to have you join us!