Shake-up Needed for Māori Language Revitalisation
Pita Paraone MP
Spokesperson for Māori Affairs
8 JULY
2016
Shake-up Needed for Māori Language Revitalisation
If New Zealand is going to address the continuing decline of te reo speakers then an option is a shake-up in education funding, says New Zealand First.
“Only 21 per cent of Māori can speak te reo. In New Zealand’s population as a whole, that number falls to 3.7 per cent,” says Māori Affairs Spokesperson Pita Paraone.
“Right now there is a Māori teaching model, Te Aka o Te Aho Matua, that has been successfully immersing tamariki and whānau in their language and culture for the past 30 years, achieving fantastic educational results for families.
“Te Aho Matua is successful because it goes outside the classroom to engage families from the cradle to the grave in Māori language and values, impacting beyond educational outcomes and into the health and wellbeing of whanau.
“New Zealand First supports calls for the Ministry of Education to support Te Aka o Te Aho Matua as a Māori-focused approach to learning.
“If the government is serious about revitalising the Māori language then the option of funding learning models such as Te Aka o Te Aho Matua to reach as many tamariki as possible must be the priority,” says Mr Paraone.
ENDS