Qualified welcome from languages advocates to Nikki Kaye's proposed bill for compulsory languages in schools

National’s draft bill on compulsory languages in schools – A good idea but community needs and trained staff are crucial, say languages advocates

A draft bill by National’s Nikki Kaye proposing that all schools offer at least one language other than English is meeting with qualified support from the authors of Auckland’s languages strategy.

The Auckland Languages Strategy Group includes about 30 organisations across the country. It has proposed 2040 as a target for all Aucklanders to have learnt and be using a range of the languages in New Zealand’s most linguistically diverse city.

“Naturally, we welcome discussion on National’s proposed draft bill that would require all schools to offer at least one language other than English,” says group member, Susan Warren, chief executive of COMET Auckland.

“However, it’s critical that the languages offered are meaningful in the communities where they are offered, and that there is a well-trained pool of teachers able to implement the policy.”

In August 2017, the Auckland Languages Strategy Group co-hosted a visit from Professor Joseph Lo Bianco from the University of Melbourne. The state of Victoria has a well-developed programme teaching over 40 heritage and community languages, as well as languages that are economically or politically strategic.

Professor Lo Bianco warned that a national programme focused only on languages seen as relevant to Australia’s trading needs had wasted hundreds of millions of dollars because there was a poor match between the availability of trained teachers, community needs and the languages on offer.

Professor Miriam Meyerhoff says the Auckland Languages Strategy Group is in discussions with the Human Rights Commission and government departments about a nationwide consultation in 2018 on what a New Zealand National Languages Strategy would look like.

“We’re hopeful that with practical support from all the major parties and active participation from concerned parliamentarians, this consultation process will reach a wide audience,” Professor Meyerhoff says.

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