Te reo is a priority for educators

While debate has been raging in Auckland about whether to make te reo Maori compulsory in schools, Taranaki educators have been offering the language for years.

What’s more, interest in the subject is booming, principals say.

Earlier this month Auckland Grammar landed itself in controversy when it made the move to introduce mandatory te reo Maori classes to its Year 9 students.

While some thought it bold and vital, others derided it as a waste of time. There is no such resistance in Taranaki.

Of the 13 high schools in the region, nine offer te reo as a core subject to junior classes, in addition to optional classes.

Two schools only provide elective classes, but across all levels and while St Mary’s Diocesan School did not offer it at any level, it did offer kapa haka.

Taranaki’s only full immersion secondary school, Te Wharekura o Te Pihipihinga Kakano Mai I Rangiatea, opened in recent years.

Sacred Heart Girls’ College principal Paula Wells said offering te reo Maori to students was an ‘‘absolute priority.’’

The subject has been mandatory for Years 7 to 9 for some time, a drive from the school’s commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi, an acknowledgement of its bi-cultural identity and its respect for kaumatua and local iwi, she said.

Beyond Year 9, students could opt to continue their studies and though Wells said the take-up of te re Maori from Year 10 was small, the school was currently experiencing growth in that area.

The school had recently recruited a Maori language teacher to handle demand and Wells said reinforcing the language was a school-wide responsibility.

New Plymouth Boys’ High School had also seen an increase in students taking up te reo and Maori-related courses. So much so, principal Paul Veric said it was likely he would need to look at bringing in more teachers of the Maori language.

The high school has had a compulsory class for its Year 10 students since 2013 where they undertook 20 teaching hours of Maori studies.

Veric said the school took a break from enforcing it this year as it transitioned to an alternative course in 2018 that would be mandatory for all Year 9 students.

He said every student would receive 40 hours of Taranaki Maori history, te reo and tikanga.

New Plymouth Girls High School does not have the subject as part of its core classes, choosing to offer it as an optional course at all year levels.

But even though an elective, students were opting in, principal Victoria Kerr said. ‘‘It is popular at Year 9 with generally four classes per year.’’

The school was considering whether to offer te reo as a compulsory subject in the junior school.

Waitara High School was also in the throes of reviewing its current syllabus and principal Daryl Warburton expected te reo Maori and tikanga would feature heavily in the school’s approach.

At present all Year 9 students engage in an eight week block course of 32 teaching hours while Year 10 to 13 students could pick the subject up as an elective. ‘‘I agree completely that it should be compulsory from Year one to 10,’’ Warburton said.

Principal of Hawera High School Hans Konlechner agreed the language had a place in the education system and his Year 9 students were taught te reo as part of their core subjects.