A member of the education panel of the Iwi Chairs Forum, Haami Piripi, says iwi aren't ruling out investing in Charter Schools down the track.
The forum agreed to focus on improving educational outcomes for Maori, at a hui last week.
The country's first five charter schools, or publicly-funded private schools, will open in February next year.
Te Rarawa Runanga chair Haami Piripi says the fundamental structure of charter schools is similar to Turakina Maori Girls' College or the former St Stephens College, which were subsidised by the church.
He says iwi want to find an education system which allows them to be involved and have a say, which he says will partly be done through resourcing it.
Mr Piripi says kura hourua will be a strong option for Maori in the future and he can see a role for Te Rarawa within the picture.
