Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Compulsory Te Reo – good idea but must go further

Compulsory Te Reo – good idea but must go further

Māori Party Tai Tokerau candidate Te Hira Paenga today welcomed the Labour Party endorsement of the Māori Party policy for te reo to be taught as a core subject in schools.

“We are glad to see Labour at last getting the message that our reo is something that we all, as New Zealanders, should embrace,” Mr Paenga said today.

“Te reo is a taonga (treasure) not just for Māori, but for every New Zealander. When the world comes to New Zealand, it is our reo, our culture, our haka that we display as an inherent part of our identity as New Zealanders. We need to do more to save our language, and to raise its status in our country.”

Mr Paenga, who is a graduate of Kohanga Reo, Kura Kaupapa and Wharekura, and a later graduate of Te Panekiretanga o Te Reo (Institute of Excellence in the Māori Language), said that the word "māori" means natural, and that he would work with any person and/or party who wants to ensure our Māori language becomes a natural part of our everyday lives, ordinary and in common use within a generation.

“If we are serious about making te reo Māori compulsorily available in our schools, then we need to increase the number of Māori language teachers, we need to ensure that there are quality reo Māori resources, and we need to fund our schools appropriately to implement the new measures.”

“I would support Labour to provide this for our tamariki. I will happily build on the work of Dr Pita Sharples who has already invested into reo Māori initiatives, established a new Māori language strategy, and channeled more TeachNZ scholarships towards Māori language teachers.”

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

"One of the cornerstone values of the Māori Party is that tangata whenua have a
right to lead their own development. That is the drive behind the new Māori Language Strategy released by Dr Sharples last week. It puts Māori into a leadership role where they are able to guide and direct the Crown's Māori language policy, resources and support. It's a shame that the Labour Party could not support this direction, but I will not let that be a barrier to our role to educate, to advocate, and to promote Māori development in government.

“Te Reo is one important pou (support) for making the Treaty a reality, but we need to go further than that - we need to support equality of outcomes for all people of New Zealand, and promote Māori self-determination and control over our resources, our taonga, and our future.

"For our people in Te Tai Tokerau, this is a prime example of the benefit of having two representatives in Parliament instead of one by electing me as the electorate MP and Kelvin Davis coming in on the Labour Party list. The added value with this reo proposal is that we are both trained senior teachers, well qualified to promote this kaupapa," Mr Paenga concluded.

EndsCompulsory Te Reo – good idea but must go further Māori Party Tai Tokerau candidate Te Hira Paenga today welcomed the Labour Party endorsement of the Māori Party policy for te reo to be taught as a core subject in schools.

“We are glad to see Labour at last getting the message that our reo is something that we all, as New Zealanders, should embrace,” Mr Paenga said today.

“Te reo is a taonga (treasure) not just for Māori, but for every New Zealander. When the world comes to New Zealand, it is our reo, our culture, our haka that we display as an inherent part of our identity as New Zealanders. We need to do more to save our language, and to raise its status in our country.”

Mr Paenga, who is a graduate of Kohanga Reo, Kura Kaupapa and Wharekura, and a later graduate of Te Panekiretanga o Te Reo (Institute of Excellence in the Māori Language), said that the word "māori" means natural, and that he would work with any person and/or party who wants to ensure our Māori language becomes a natural part of our everyday lives, ordinary and in common use within a generation.

“If we are serious about making te reo Māori compulsorily available in our schools, then we need to increase the number of Māori language teachers, we need to ensure that there are quality reo Māori resources, and we need to fund our schools appropriately to implement the new measures.”

“I would support Labour to provide this for our tamariki. I will happily build on the work of Dr Pita Sharples who has already invested into reo Māori initiatives, established a new Māori language strategy, and channeled more TeachNZ scholarships towards Māori language teachers.”

"One of the cornerstone values of the Māori Party is that tangata whenua have a right to lead their own development. That is the drive behind the new Māori Language Strategy released by Dr Sharples last week. It puts Māori into a leadership role where they are able to guide and direct the Crown's Māori language policy, resources and support. It's a shame that the Labour Party could not support this direction, but I will not let that be a barrier to our role to educate, to advocate, and to promote Māori development in government.

“Te Reo is one important pou (support) for making the Treaty a reality, but we need to go further than that - we need to support equality of outcomes for all people of New Zealand, and promote Māori self-determination and control over our resources, our taonga, and our future.

"For our people in Te Tai Tokerau, this is a prime example of the benefit of having two representatives in Parliament instead of one by electing me as the electorate MP and Kelvin Davis coming in on the Labour Party list. The added value with this reo proposal is that we are both trained senior teachers, well qualified to promotethis kaupapa," Mr Paenga concluded.

Ends

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.