Govt wants educators to use te reo every day

WELLINGTON: The Government wants all education providers, from kindergartens to universities, to use te reo Maori every day — but has stopped short of making the language compulsory.

The first ever ‘‘statement of national education and learning priorities’’ said schools, early learning centres, and tertiary institutions should meaningfully include Maori language and tikanga in their everyday life.

It also said they should ensure they were safe, inclusive and free of racism, discrimination and bullying; reduce barriers to education including financial barriers; have high aspirations for all learners; and ensure every learner gained sound foundation skills including language, literacy and numeracy.

Education Minister Chris Hipkins told RNZ the statement provided schools and other education providers with a checklist to work on.

‘‘So if you’re a school board of trustees, the statement of national education and learning priorities sets out the things that we want you to be prioritising like ensuring that your school is free from racism and bullying and discrimination, making sure that you’re breaking down barriers to participation at all levels of the school life.’’

The idea for the document dated back four or five years to the previous National government and it ensured the Government’s expectations were clear, Mr Hipkins said.

In terms of reducing barriers to accessing learning, the document said schools should: ‘‘Where possible, reduce nonfee costs, including costs associated with BYOD [bring your own device] policies, and take advantage of policies to reduce financial dependence on families and whanau’’.

It said schools could meaningfully incorporate te reo and tikanga Maori into their every day life by seeking advice from Maori on what to do, improving teachers’ knowledge of te reo Maori and tikanga Maori, and talking to learners and staff about why correct pronunciation was important.

It said education providers should meaningfully incorporate te reo and tikanga Maori because they were essential components of the heritage of New Zealand.

‘‘By learning te reo Maori and becoming increasingly familiar with tikanga, Maori students strengthen their identities and are able to actively participate in te ao Maori, and nonMaori learners/Akonga work towards shared cultural understandings.’’

Mr Hipkins said using the language meaningfully might mean teaching children the names of colours and numbers in both English and te reo.

That was already happening in a lot of schools and early learning services, he said.

‘‘I go and visit a lot of early learning services where kids are

❛ . . . it’s a really positive development for the country. It recognises that te reo Maori is our first language, one that we should all be proud of.

learning their numbers, they’re learning their colours and they’re learning them in English and te reo Maori and it’s just happening now. We haven’t had to make it compulsory, or deal with any of that because it’s just happening and similarly it’s happening in schooling as well.

‘‘There’s nothing threatening about that, it’s a really positive development for the country. It recognises that te reo Maori is our first language, one that we should all be proud of.’’

The goal might be challenging for some schools, Mr Hipkins said, and he acknowledged there might be resistance.

‘‘There may be a few illinformed people who will push back and say we’re going too far. I don’t think we’re going too far, I think we’re recognising te reo Maori as our first language.’’

Mr Hipkins denied the Government was making te reo Maori compulsory.

‘‘It’s about saying that te reo Maori is being increasingly being integrated into our everyday life and therefore it’s important that everybody has the opportunity to understand the basics of te reo Maori.’’ — RNZ