3 July 2014
Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori buoyed by commitment to language excellence
Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori is impressed by Auckland University Faculty of Education’s recent request to proficiency
test Māori medium teacher trainees. The testing held in late March this year, saw 73 of the Faculty’s students complete
the Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori Level (Māori language) Finder Exam.
The largest sitting held in recent years, Acting Chief Executive Pita Paraone says “What’s of particular importance is
that the bulk of these students (72%) are future Māori immersion teachers from all stages of the Auckland University
programme. They will soon be in front of our tamariki teaching the language. It is critical therefore that we know the
language abilities of these trainees are being monitored and developed before they step out and into classrooms. The
Level Finder Exam was created to assist that development.”
Since the advent of Māori language immersion education nearly 30 years ago, issues of language quality and proficiency
of teachers in these teaching and learning environments has been widely, and at times hotly debated.
“Submitting this current teacher training cohort to proficiency testing sends a message to trainees (current and
future), Māori language communities everywhere, and especially to parents of mokopuna in Māori language immersion
environments, that Auckland University knows the importance of high quality Māori language proficiency as a key element
of successful Māori language regeneration” says Pita.
“Auckland University Faculty of Education receives our congratulations on taking this bold and significant step
forward.”
For more information about the language proficiency testing administered by Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori - go to our
website: www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/english/services_e/language_proficiency.shtml
E whāia ana te hiranga o te reo, me te harikoa o Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori i tēnei.
E kore e mutu te mihi a Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori ki te tono a Te Kura o te Puna Wānanga i ngā marama tata nei, kia
whakamātauria te taumata reo o āna tauira e whai ana kia haere hei pouako. I tū tā rātou whakamātautau i te paunga o
Poutūterangi, e 73 te hunga i whakamātauria.
Kātahi anō ka pēnei rawa te tokomaha o te tangata i whai mai i te whakamātautau i ēnei tau tata nei, me te kī ake a te
Tumuaki Kairīwhi o Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, a Pita Paraone, “Ka nui te ora o te ngākau i tēnei, i te mea ko te
nuinga o ngā tauira nei (e 72%) nō ngā taumata katoa o ngā mahi whakangungu pouako a Te Kura o te Puna Wānanga. Taihoa
rātou ka tū mai ki te aroaro o ā tātou tamariki, ki reira whāngai ai i a rātou ki tō tātou reo rangatira. He mea nui
whakaharahara te mōhio e aroturukihia ana ngā reo o te hunga nei, ka mutu e whakapakarihia ana i mua i te puta ki te
akomanga. Koinei tonu te take i hangaia ai te Whakamātautau Tohu Taumata Reo, hei āwhina ake i ngā mahi whakapakari
reo.”
Kua tata pau te 30 tau mai i te tīmatanga ake o ngā mahi rumaki i ā tātou tamariki ki te reo Māori, ka mutu i roto i ngā
tau nei, e rite ana, e whānui ana te wānangahia o te kounga o te reo me te pai o te reo o ngā pouako, i ōna wā anō kua
neke kē atu i te wānangahia, kua tohea, kua kupukupuhia.
E ai anō ki tā Pita Paraone, “Kua whakamātauria te taumata reo o te kāhui tauira nei, he kōrero rā tēnei ki ngā tauira
katoa (o nāianei, o āpōpō), e whakangungua ana hei pouako, ki ngā hapori Māori puta noa, waihoki rā ki ngā mātua o ā
tātou tamariki mokopuna e whai ana kia rumakina ā tātou tamariki ki te reo Māori, e mōhio ana Te Whare Wānanga o Tāmaki
Makaurau ki te noho hira mai o te whai kia eke te reo o ā rātou tauira ki ngā taumata e tutuki ai ngā wawata katoa mō te
whakarauora i tō tātou reo.”
“Kia pūruahia ngā mihi nui ki Te Kura o te Puna Wānanga mō tō rātou kaha, mō tō rātou mātātoa ki te para i te huarahi
nei.
Mō ētahi atu whakamārama mō ngā whakamātautau reo a Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori, haere ki tā mātou pae tukutuku, ki: www.tetaurawhiri.govt.nz/english/services_e/language_proficiency.shtml
ENDS