Hon Kelvin Davis

Associate Minister of Education

PĀNUI PĀPĀHO

MEDIA STATEMENT

4 September 2019

A new central online hub for te reo Māori resources will make teaching and learning in te reo Māori, fun, easy and relevant for teachers, learners and whānau, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis announced today.

Kelvin Davis launched Kauwhata Reo at an event in Wellington this morning, saying it was developed to meet the growing demand for te reo Māori resources, while making them available and accessible on one central platform.

“The education system is our most powerful lever for learning te reo Māori, but we know from feedback that our rauemi Māori are difficult to find on our existing websites. Kauwhata Reo will solve that issue by having a connected and cohesive pool of rauemi in one easy to find place that reflects te ao Māori,” Kelvin Davis said.

“Our Government is committed to integrating te reo Māori into education in early learning and schools by 2025. To do this we must ensure teachers and kaiako have the tools and support required to confidently teach and normalise the speaking of the Māori language.

“This new tool meets the demand for te reo Māori resources, and makes them available to anyone, anywhere, anytime.”

Kelvin Davis said Kauwhata Reo is live today and would continue to develop as the number of users increased.

“I’m excited about this latest innovation which again is a visible illustration of this Government’s commitment to the ongoing development of te reo Māori,” Kelvin Davis said.

Notes to editors

Kauwhata Reo is based on a Māori world view framework developed by Mātanga Māori (Māori experts) designed to help kaiako and ākonga navigate through the information available.

Over the past three years, the number of students attending Māori medium schooling has increased by approximately 1,000 annually (i.e. to 19,438 in 2017).

The demand for te reo Māori in English medium schooling, over the same time period, has also increased by approximately 5,000 students annually (i.e. to 165,601 in 2017).

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