Maori school told to mind its language

[Harold Schiffman]

Forwarded From: edling at lists.sis.utsa.edu


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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