Hon Parekura Horomia
Minister of Maori Affairs, Associate Minister of Education, Associate Minister of Tourism, Associate Minister of Fisheries, Associate Minister of Social Services and Employment (Employment)

10am Friday 14 December 2001
Speech Notes
Audit Report On Reo Maori Resourcing Launched At The Opening Of The Administration Block Of Omahu Bilingual School.

Nga mihi mahana ki a koutou katoa ka tae mai I tenei ra whakahirahira. Ki a Nanny Lassie (kaikaranga), Koro Kuru Nuku, te Whanau me nga tamariki o te kura nei. Tena rawa koutou katoa.

I am pleased to be here to open your new administration block. It is a sign of how the kura is growing and the exciting developments for your whanau. There are some exciting things happening with Te Reo Maori too. Most of you will know programmes like Tikitiki, Pukana, Tu Te Puehu, Te Karere, Marae and Waka Huia. In Parliament we recently introduced a law that will set up a Maori TV service so you can see more programmes like Tikitiki, Waka Huia. New programmes will be made too and since Maori people are generally young, the Maori TV service will target rangatahi like you.

Results from the latest Maori language survey showed that more young people are speaking and using te reo Maori. Also, young women are likely to speak te reo Maori well. This is good news because it means that Maori language is not dying, it is growing and the students at Omahu are part of that growth.

Today I am launching a report by Te Puni Kokiri about Maori language resourcing in education. The report says approximately $21 million is available for Maori language resourcing in schools each year - $7 million for the development of books and other resources, while $13.8 million goes directly to schools.

The audit came about because of concerns by the Education Review Office and Mäori language teachers about the adequacy of existing Reo Mäori learning and teaching resources. They also wanted to know how well current resources support the Mäori language curriculum.

The audit shows that improvements have been made, but more needs to be done.
There are now over 22,000 school students receiving parts of their education in te reo Mäori, and that number will continue to grow. Teachers must have both the skills and resources to ensure young Maori get the best education possible.

The survey shows that the range and quality of Maori language resources in schools have improved in the past decade. There have been more tapes, CDs, posters and books available, in hard copy and on-line. There are also mechanisms to assist teachers to develop and find appropriate resources for classes. But ongoing work is needed to match resources to the needs of students, teachers and their communities.

The answer is not necessarily more money, but better use of the money and resources that is already being spent in this area.

Christmas time is a whanau time. We need to look after each other. It isn’t about what presents you get, or don’t get, its about taking time to think about your whanu whanui and enjoy and appreciate each other’s company. Don’t drink and drive. Have a good holiday. Tena rawa koutou katoa.

© Scoop Media

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