Otago University's Absurd Maori Policy

New Zealand First has described Otago University’s new Maori language policy as absurd political correctness and nothing to do with education.

The new policy means that students can write assessments in the Maori language this year to encourage the use of Maori in its written and oral form.

Rt Hon Winston Peters said today the policy was ridiculous and that any student interested in gaining internationally recognised qualifications would ignore it.

“Te reo Maori is an integral part of Maori culture and should be preserved as such. It is the language of New Zealand’s cultural heritage – not the language of an academic institution, unless the subject being studied relates to Maori.

“It might come as a surprise to the politically correct activists at Otago that pre-European Maori did not have language to cover such subjects as nuclear physics, biochemistry and calculus.

“They were also unaware of company law, the Peloponnesian wars and Russian history.

“The policy is clearly absurd and a waste of both time and money. It is difficult to understand how a university with such a great reputation can get caught up in this cultural claptrap,” said Mr Peters.

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