[lg policy] New Zealand: Educators back compulsory Maori language

[Harold Schiffman]

<https://crtl.aimatch.com/apl/adclick/FCID=10086/site=ODT/size=zone1/random=17061760/viewid=1523689489/layout=layout4/pageurl=news%2Fnational%2Feducators-back-compulsory-maori-language/area=news/subarea=national/subsubarea=educators-back-compulsory-maori-language>
Thursday, 2 February 2017
Educators back compulsory Maori language
 36 5
1 Comment
<https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/educators-back-compulsory-maori-language#comments>
[image: Marama Davidson. Photo NZ Herald]
Greens Māori development spokeswoman Marama Davidson said many children
were already excited about learning te reo at school because it "belongs to
everybody in this country". Photo NZ Herald

Educators have been quick to endorse a Green Party proposal to make Māori
language a compulsory core subject in state schools from years 1 to 10.

The two teacher unions, School Trustees Association and even the
conservative Maxim Institute all backed the policy. Labour education
spokesman Chris Hipkins said he personally also believed in it, although
Labour would not endorse it formally.

   - *PPTA praises commitment to te reo Māori *
   <https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/teachers-praise-commitment-te-reo-m%C4%81ori>

But National's Māori-speaking Education Minister Hekia Parata said children
should only learn the language if they chose to.

"I'm for a bilingual nation," she wrote in an article supplied by her
office.

But she added: "Of all the drivers for successful language acquisition,
motivation is essential. Compulsion is the antithesis of motivation."

Greens Māori development spokeswoman Marama Davidson said many children
were already excited about learning te reo at school because it "belongs to
everybody in this country".

Lynda Stuart of the primary teacher union NZ Educational Institute said te
reo should be "taught as a key part of New Zealand's curriculum". But she
warned it would need "much more Government investment".

School Trustees Association president Lorraine Kerr said: "Personally, and
given that I'm Māori myself, I think it's an amazing idea." She too warned
that it would need a lot more teacher training.

Maxim Institute chief executive Alex Penk said: " We absolutely welcome the
idea that all kids should learn te reo Māori. Like the Greens, we'd love to
see every child have a good grasp of te reo because it's a core part of who
we are as a country."

In the business world, even Export NZ director Catherine Beard was
supportive, although she said compulsion might be "an own goal".

"Whilst te reo obviously is not spoken internationally, there is evidence
that if you start out being bilingual it's easier to learn a third
language," she said.

"Certainly when we go on trade missions the whole Māori aspect is often
emphasised as a point of difference for New Zealand, and that sets us apart
and I guess gets us noticed and makes us proud.

"I would say, though, that the negative thing about compulsion is sometimes
that it can be a turn-off for people, so whether that would be the right
way to win the hearts and minds I guess would be the only question."

Professor Sharon Harvey, who heads AUT's School of Language and Culture and
has helped to develop language policies for both the Royal Society and an
Auckland regional forum, said children should learn three languages like
most people in Asia and Europe.

"English is the language of power both locally and internationally, so
everyone who lives in New Zealand needs access to high-quality English
language instruction," she said.

"Māori is the language of New Zealand, and I think because of the Treaty of
Waitangi and for many reasons, we should be able to speak Māori to a
reasonable level of proficiency.

"And maybe schools should have community discussions around the languages
of their community and what other languages they will offer to the kids in
their area."

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/educators-back-compulsory-maori-language


-- 
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to its
members
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner or
sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents. Members who
disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal, and to write
directly to the original sender of any offensive message.  A copy of this
may be forwarded to this list as well.  (H. Schiffman, Moderator)

For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to
https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/
listinfo/lgpolicy-list
*******************************************
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://listserv.linguistlist.org/pipermail/lgpolicy-list/attachments/20170204/823e638f/attachment.htm>
-------------- next part --------------
_______________________________________________
This message came to you by way of the lgpolicy-list mailing list
lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu
To manage your subscription unsubscribe, or arrange digest format: https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list