In demand
Te reo Māori classes are proving so popular in Manawatū that institutions are having to find more tutors. UCOL says there has been an amazing response to its free classes, compared with last year.
Te reo Māori classes are proving so popular in Manawatū that institutions are having to find more tutors.
Head of UCOL’S School of Education Dr Bridget Percy said there was an amazing response to free classes, with an almost fourfold increase over last year’s trial programme, and they had to put on extra classes and get more tutors.
One of those tutors, Tahi Gotty, who specialises in teaching beginners, also runs Thursday night Te Ataarangi Māori language classes at the Highbury Whānau Centre.
‘‘Numbers are up and I’ve had to ask some of my senior students who have been learning over the past two to three years to help out. So, I’m now teaching them to teach.’’
Gotty said interest in the language went through phases, with the last big renaissance occurring 12 years ago.
He also runs in-house sessions for the Palmerston North City and Horizons Regional councils and said incentives for government and local government staff to learn the language could be behind the surge.
At Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, administrator Wiremu Maruera said there were overflows in enrolments for four 36-week free classes, which start on Monday, but nothing they wouldn’t be able to accommodate.
City Council principal Māori adviser Todd Taiepa said the council had a policy of championing te reo, whether it was in signage or by promoting it to staff.
Manumea Durie, who is not a te reo Ma¯ ori speaker, is investigating the possibility of setting up introductory after-school classes so that tamariki can become better acquainted with the language.
‘‘It began when I was sitting around with my daughters talking about after-school activities and my eldest daughter Fai’ana, who is 6, asked if there were any te reo classes.’’
She had been in talks with the city council about finding a venue, securing funding and resources.