Maori school told to mind its language

[Francis Hult]

The New Zealand Herald

 

Maori school told to mind its language

 

An Auckland Maori language immersion school has been pulled up for using too much English in class.

 

A new Education Review Office report on an Otara kura kaupapa said the prevalence of English as the main language of communication was a significant area of concern.

 

Kura kaupapa Maori are schools within the state system in which the principal language of instruction is te reo Maori.

 

But while speaking te reo was fostered, promoted and encouraged in the Otara school's junior syndicate, students in the middle syndicate often spoke English to each other and to the kaiako (teacher), the report said.

 

English was also "prevalent" in the wharekura.

 

The decile 1 Te Kura Kaupapa Maori O Piripono Te Kura Whakahou O Otara - with a roll of 126 pupils in Years 1 to 8 - last year adopted a strategy to encourage te reo development and planned to extend it to speaking te reo Maori this year.

 

Full story:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=35&objectid=10521792

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