MPs should back Te Reo in schools   27 Jul 2015

27 July 2015

MPs should back Te Reo in schools

The Green Party and New Zealand First are jointly calling for a Select Committee inquiry into the capacity to deliver and support Te Reo Maori within New Zealand schools.

On Wednesday, the Education and Science Select Committee should tautoko Tracey Martin MP and Catherine Delahunty MP’s call for an inquiry into Te Reo Maori in schools to assess the capacity to teach Te Reo Maori.

The proportion of Maori people who speak te reo has dropped in the last two censuses, from 25.2 per cent in 2001 to 21.3 per cent in 2013.

The theme this year for Maori Language Week (Te Wiki o te Reo Maori) is 'Whangaihia te reo Maori ki nga matua': helping parents to pass te reo on to their children.

“The education sector has an important role to play in ensuring that parents are supported in helping to pass along Te Reo,” Green Party education spokesperson Catherine Delahunty said.

“The Government can show some leadership and better resource the Te Aho Arataki Marau mo te Ako I Te Reo Maori curriculum guidelines to reflect the importance of Te Reo Maori,” New Zealand First education spokesperson Tracey Martin said.

“The guidelines for English medium schools to teach Te Reo are voluntary and the commitment is variable,” Ms Delahunty said.

“There needs to be an assessment done on the capacity of schools to deliver. Our schools require them to teach a language, but not necessarily Te Reo,” Ms Martin said.

“We need to treat Te Reo as the taonga that it is. Te Reo has been here the longest and is the language of the indigenous people. The Te Reo revitalisation movement has fought a magnificent battle for Te Reo Rangatira through the Waitangi Tribunal, in politics, and in communities,” Ms Delahunty said.

“There are not enough children coming out of either Maori medium or English medium schools that are fluent in Te Reo. This means that a national language is at risk,” Ms Delahunty said

“Politicians now need to lead in a cross party consensus that Te Reo must be well resourced and supported in all schools,” Ms Martin said.

“I call on all MPs to support holding a Select Committee inquiry into Te Reo Maori this week, given it is Te Wiki o te Reo Maori,” Ms Delahunty said.

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