Maori Affairs Ministers says Maori are not performing in their own language.

Maori were not performing in their own language, Maori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples told attendants at He Waka Eke Noa in Rotorua today.(July 15)

Dr Sharples urged the 200 strong crowd to give him ideas on how to improve the number of people speaking the Maori language.

He was concerned Maori were not performing in their own language. “There isn’t enough Reo,” he said.

He questioned whether there should be an overall authority to oversee Maori Medium Education rather than comparing it to mainstream education. He believed the authority would need to work closely with the Maori Language Commission.

He Waka Eke Noa is a wānanga for early childhood to Tertiary Maori educators. It is managed by CORE Education and supported b y the Ministry of Education.

He Waka Eke Noa runs until Friday. It will focus on the school curriculum, ICT (Information Communication Technology) and creating better leaders in Maori Medium Education.

Dr Sharples also urged attendees to seize the opportunity to promote ICT to Maori communities.

It was a time to celebrate all of the amazing initiatives that Maori medium education was demonstrating in its mastery of ICT.

However, there was still a long way to go.

“We cannot get away from the fact that despite the IT explosion, whanau Maori and Pasifika families, have the lowest levels of household access to the internet of all New Zealanders,” Dr Sharples said.

In 2006, while 77% of Asian families and 70% of European families had access to the internet at home, just 47% of Maori and 38% of Pasifika peoples had household access.

“Until the other half of our whanau are also switched on to the net, we will always be a step behind.

“But secondly, and more positively, we know that the younger our mokopuna are, the more at ease they appear to be in navigating the information age,” he said.

With this in mind He Waka Eke Noa was a canoe everyone could embark on.

Ministry of Education Maori Medium Outcomes Manager Kiritina Johnstone told the audience they were part of a group that was leading the way in indigenous education.

“There is nothing we can follow. In everything we do we make indigenous education stronger,” she said.

He Waka Eke Noa runs until Friday. Media are welcome to attend.

ENDS

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