Lifelong learning: beyond the rhetoric of retention

Initially, this study of the attrition of adult Māori students in a Tertiary Institute was undertaken to determine whether the factors in the literature explaining attrition/retention in tertiary institutions were relevant to Māori students and whether the literature covered all the factors. The main finding was that they mostly did apply. Research published subsequently raised other issues that led to the conclusion that we need to reframe the concept of attrition/retention and accept that a certain level is inevitable. This suggests that it is time to turn our attention to strategies that ease the exit and return of Māori students to tertiary education institutions if they have to withdraw for any reason. At the same time, those of us in the tertiary education sector must continue to find ways to improve the quality of educational experiences for Māori students.