30 JULY 2015
More than Ministry Encouragement Needed for Te Reo
New Zealand First says Education Minister Hekia Parata needs to do more to ensure te reo Māori is supported throughout
Secondary education so the language is not lost to all New Zealanders.
“Official information released to New Zealand First shows that the number of learners participating in Māori language
courses drops from 26 per cent of primary students to only 7.5 per cent for students within Secondary education,” says
New Zealand First Spokesperson for Māori Affairs Pita Paraone.
“These figures show that students are not connecting with New Zealand’s official language and this is due to the
Ministry refusing to resource the teaching of te reo Māori appropriately from new entrant to Year 13.
“If Minister Parata continues to ignore the need for greater support for te reo Māori within the education system, she
will have directly played a part in the death of the Māori language,” says Mr Paraone.
ENDS