The Green Party is urging the Government to act on its commitment to te reo Māori, by making it a core subject up to year 10, and including te reo courses in the Targeted Training and Apprenticeships scheme.
Green Party Co-leader Marama Davidson said today:
“Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori is a chance each year to celebrate the taonga of te reo Māori. But to properly protect our precious indigenous language we need to do a lot more, and fast.
“If the Government is serious about its commitment to integrate te reo Māori into schools by 2025, it must make it a core curriculum subject, and properly resource it.
“Having students learn te reo Māori up to year 10 would gift them the privilege of speaking our indigenous language and ensure it’s protected as the taonga it is.
“Our policy for universal te reo Māori in schools by 2030 was developed with Māori educators, language experts, and teacher unions.
“We recognise that teaching te reo widely will require more teachers. That’s why we want te reo Māori courses, up to level five, added to the list of subjects in the Targeted Training and Apprenticeships Fund.
“This would mean people who lost jobs due to COVID-19 could retrain, with the aim of eventually teaching te reo Māori. They could also apply those skills to mahi throughout the public and private sector.
“We’re really pleased Labour is now on board with Matariki Day. But if they really want to show a commitment to protecting tikanga Māori, they must go one big step further, by agreeing to add it to the core curriculum.”
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