Example for kids

‘‘My hope is that writing a PhD in te reo Ma¯ ori here at The University of Waikato will serve as an example for my kids, nephews and nieces that anything is possible if you work hard and focus.’’

He also pays tribute to his father and mother, Lloyd and Gaynor Nga¯ po¯ , as well as his younger siblings, lawyer Arama Nga¯ po¯ - Lipscombe and his brother who is teaching at Tokoroa High School, Keinan Nga¯ po¯ .

Dr Nga¯ po¯ is equally convinced of the benefits of being multilingual. ‘‘You look overseas, in Europe, children speak at least three languages but the majority of our children cannot. Ma¯ ori is an indigenous language of New Zealand, it’s important for us to speak it; it contributes to our cultural understanding.’’