“It’s our identity”: backlash to Te Ahu o te reo Māori cuts

Recently announced cuts Te Ahu o te reo Māori, a programme which develops teacher competency in te reo Māori, have faced backlash from the student and education community.

The $30 million slashed from funding for Te Ahu o te reo Māori will be used to fund the government’s new maths programme, a move which union NZEI Te Riu Roa describes as “a mistake”.  

Students seem to agree, with a group from Wellington East Girls’ College writing an open letter to Education Minister Erica Stanford.  

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“Having strong te reo Māori kaiako (teachers) in our school is important to our learning in all subjects, because our te reo Māori-speaking teachers connect with us in a different way.”  

The students also refuted Stanford’s claim that the programme had no direct impact on student achievement.  

“This decision makes us feel like you don’t really care about Māori people. It’s saying that your culture (and also maths) is more important than our culture. 

“We’ve lost the language due to colonisation… if we don’t have teachers speak te reo Māori, then we won’t learn te reo Māori, because our parents didn’t get a chance to learn.” 

Yasmeen Parbhu (Ngāti Porou, Ngāti Whātua, Ngāti Ata, Ngāi Tahu) and Rosie Dunn (Te Rarawa, Te Aupōuri, Ngā Puhi), two year 10 students who helped to write the letter, told RNZ that Te Ahu o te Reo made a world of difference to their education.  

They said they noticed teachers who took the course better understood tikanga Māori and were more inclusive.  

“Te reo Māori is our identity… even if you’re not Māori, you’re still in New Zealand and it’s our langauge.  

“[Te reo Māori] is something we all need to learn,” said Yasmeen.  

“Maths is important but it shouldn’t have to be at the expense of te reo.” 

New Zealand Principals’ Federation president Leanne Otene agreed. 

“It’s not just about the language, it’s also around the tikanga, it’s around the kaupapa, the localised stories, it’s about connecting with iwi and hapū and the regions. 

“Where is the underachievement? It is with our Māori and Pacifica students. And so it is absolutely critical that in order to support them with their achievement, we also need to understand their world.  

“I’m really disappointed to see maths versus te reo.”  

NZEI Te Riu Roa president Mark Potter said the programme has helped “both Māori and Pakeha kaiako and ākonga flourish in the reo and understanding of tikanga and te ao Māori.”  

Potter said the benefits of the programme were documented in evaluations of the pilot, and in the experiences of teachers and principals around the country.  

Te Taura Whiri i te reo Māori | Māori Language Commission Board Chair, Professor Rawinia Higgins said the move was a step in the wrong direction.  

“Any reducation in support and resourcing for te reo Māori is going to have an impact… it takes us back another step because language revitalisation is an intergenerational kaupapa.”  

Higgins said we should be fostering an “and” situation where subjects like maths and te reo Māori can grow together. Instead, she says the announcement creates division between subjects.  

In a statement to RNZ, Stanford said the government was dedicated to achieving equitable outcomes for ākonga Māori.  

“That’s why I established a Māori Education Ministerial Advisory Group made up of experienced practitioners, to help improve outcomes for Māori learners.  

“Together we are developing a Māori Education Action Plan which [is] framed by my six education priorities and [draws] on the existing Ka Hikitia – Ka Hāpaitia and Tau Mai Te Reo strategies.”