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Brash’s stance on Maori language 'discriminatory' – Sharples

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Fri, 11 Nov 2011 4:44a.m.

Dr Brash's position is “irresponsible, discriminatory and out-of-touch,” Dr Sharples says (file)

Dr Brash's position is “irresponsible, discriminatory and out-of-touch,” Dr Sharples says (file)

ACT Party leader Don Brash has failed to take Te Reo Maori’s legal status as an official New Zealand language into account in opposing the language being compulsorily available in schools, Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples says.

Dr Brash said yesterday that making the Maori language compulsorily available would be “a retrograde step” and New Zealanders were better off learning Spanish or Mandarin.

“In 1987 Te Reo Maori was declared an official language of New Zealand,” Dr Sharples says.

“Quite frankly it is appalling that almost quarter of a century later, Dr Brash is still reluctant to accept the basis of the law which informs and guides government agencies right across the state sector.”

Dr Brash said yesterday that making the Maori language compulsorily available in schools would be “a retrograde step” and New Zealanders were better off learning Spanish or Mandarin.

His position is “irresponsible, discriminatory and out-of-touch,” Dr Sharples says.

“Te Reo Maori is a gift from our ancestors, for us to share with all New Zealanders… most New Zealanders are ready and willing to accept the gift, and acknowledge its value to our national identity.”

The New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) says it welcomes the debate, and compulsory Te Reo in schools would add value to children’s education and ensure the language is kept alive.

NZEI Matua Takawaenga Laures Park says the relatively small number of New Zealanders who are fluent in Maori is “shameful”.

“It is ignorant and offensive for people such as the ACT Party leader Don Brash to label Te Reo Maori as irrelevant and to somehow suggest it has no benefit to anyone but Maori.”

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Comments

23 Nov 2011 08:57p.m.

Oscar wrote:

Stuff this nonsence about making Maori language compulsory in schools! I would not like my child to have to learn a language that will not get him far in the outside world. I know a young man in his early 20's who is fluent in speaking and writing Maori but cannot read or write English and has been called dumb by younger people than him. He was educated in a Te Reo school system and I think that is very poor to not give this man a head start for his future. He has another 50 years of being able to work but who will employ him even now when he cannot read simple road signs.When I was at school I learnt about Maori culture and was interested but if I had to learn the language I would have rebelled.

22 Nov 2011 10:40p.m.

Kiwijack wrote:

Stupid language that's made up by the day. It was even written by an Englishman. What on earth would any NZ child benefit from learning a language that will benefit them nowhere outside NZ? Sharples is the racist who seaks to fleece the tax payer of New Zealand out of hundreds of millions while ignoring maori child killings at all costs. He's a dispicable racist with a slimey smoosing smile. NZ would be better off without him and his radical white haters getting all the air time by a loony left wing media.

22 Nov 2011 09:16a.m.

Sig wrote:

It seems a lot of the comments on here are ignoring how learning another language, especially while young, is a great exercise for the brain and often leads to greater intelligence. Additionally, learning Te Reo would open up many more young people for jobs within New Zealand-- I have often seen demand for Te Reo speakers in industries such as translation, publishing, law, teaching, etcetera. Te Reo also shares many characteristics with other pacific island, and even Asian (specifically Japanese and Korean,) languages! Anyone who has learned a Romance language such as Spanish or French can tell you it is easier to pick up another language if it has related characteristics with grammar or vocab to one you already know (thus why Spanish is also considered easy to learn for English speakers.) As for the "One world, One Language" comment, that is somewhat naive. English is already quickly becoming the world "trading language", albeit in competition with Mandarin and Spanish, but it is so important that the Japanese school system makes English compulsory until the end of highschool, and many Europeans also learn it. Maybe not fluently, but they learn it! However, a trading language is not the same as a native language and never will be, the world is too big and language means too much to people and their identity. I really just want to emphasize that it does not and never will hurt someone to be bilingual, no matter how obscure the language, and knowing another language is ALWAYS impressive because it shows you have the CAPABILITY to learn. And may I remind everyone that learning French and German because it is traditional is almost exactly the same argument being made for Te Reo, and they are no where near as useful as you think when they are when most of the people in Europe speak German, French AND English fluently. Spanish, or Mandarin, on the other hand? Yes, useful languages. But considering we are already fluent in one of the world's big trading languages, not as necessary as one may think either.

22 Nov 2011 09:16a.m.

Sig wrote:

It seems a lot of the comments on here are ignoring how learning another language, especially while young, is a great exercise for the brain and often leads to greater intelligence. Additionally, learning Te Reo would open up many more young people for jobs within New Zealand-- I have often seen demand for Te Reo speakers in industries such as translation, publishing, law, teaching, etcetera. Te Reo also shares many characteristics with other pacific island, and even Asian (specifically Japanese and Korean,) languages! Anyone who has learned a Romance language such as Spanish or French can tell you it is easier to pick up another language if it has related characteristics with grammar or vocab to one you already know (thus why Spanish is also considered easy to learn for English speakers.) As for the "One world, One Language" comment, that is somewhat naive. English is already quickly becoming the world "trading language", albeit in competition with Mandarin and Spanish, but it is so important that the Japanese school system makes English compulsory until the end of highschool, and many Europeans also learn it. Maybe not fluently, but they learn it! However, a trading language is not the same as a native language and never will be, the world is too big and language means too much to people and their identity. I really just want to emphasize that it does not and never will hurt someone to be bilingual, no matter how obscure the language, and knowing another language is ALWAYS impressive because it shows you have the CAPABILITY to learn. And may I remind everyone that learning French and German because it is traditional is almost exactly the same argument being made for Te Reo, and they are no where near as useful as you think when they are when most of the people in Europe speak German, French AND English fluently. Spanish, or Mandarin, on the other hand? Yes, useful languages. But considering we are already fluent in one of the world's big trading languages, not as necessary as one may think either.

21 Nov 2011 11:58a.m.

Laurek wrote:

Te Reo is good to associate feelings of togetherness. But the problem is, Sharples expects all to learn Maori while he takes a few Maori elites to the private sector. That's where the Maori took the wrong turn when it left the people behind. Maori is traditionally a culture with social ties. It is the kaupapa of health, welfare, and wellbeing. No amount of money accumulation can make Maori healthy without te whanau who is left behind by elitism. I think it's when Maori return to social, family, and culture in Labour and to re-establish the basis of the market that we all become sense, feel, and speak the same language whatever the dialogue..

17 Nov 2011 06:53a.m.

Mike wrote:

Having multiple official languages is not good as its a makework option that achieves little and drums up bad feelings everwhere. We have parliment speches in a language that almost no NZ'rs can understand and people employed to translate. We have a history of problems over translation - with re-interpretation to suit parties over the treaty. Lets face it, the treaty basically says Maori are given the rights of british subjects and are under british law able to own land. Remember where the british law came from. The british had upper and lower class, and the maori were being given the rights of british subjects, but more like upper class british subjects who could own land. Yes it was a 2-pronged attack to settle the land issues of NZ. It stopped settlers just going out and buying land from any maori, but it also made land that was sold actually sold.

Lets face it in the early 1800's Land was abundant and cheap, and land value always reflects how easy it is to obtain. Looking back with 2010 prices of land to 1830 is bullshit. The treaty cut back on the ill feeling of settlers who bought and paid for land in good faith from maori, then were told that who they spoke to didn't own it. Sales like this sold NZ more than 3x over as some maori saw it as a free way to obtain western goods. The treaty stopped the settlers buying from maori directly and the ill will from it, it also put the crown in control. The crown also responded to dead settlers in the only way it knew how - by force in the standard of the day. Lets face it when the redcoats went in they left a lot of dead bodies - just read some history from back then and you see NZ was treated kindly compared to other countries of the time. The treaty, by giving maori the rights of british subjects also protected maori as the crown was less likely to send in the redcoats against british subjects than they were against just some local natives. Govenor Grey did more to protect maori than he is given credit for.

15 Nov 2011 06:42p.m.

Meke wrote:

Te Reo Maori is our Identity,.not any other language, Derrrr Don

14 Nov 2011 11:46a.m.

jade wrote:

i am voting for the maori party hard

14 Nov 2011 11:28a.m.

Robbie wrote:

Can I suggest to Don Brash that if his constituents want to learn Spanish-go to Spain. If you want to learn Mandarin-go to China-I hear these countries do a smashing job of teaching their own official language. Oh yeah if you want to learn Maori.......New Zealand and New Zealand ONLY!

14 Nov 2011 09:24a.m.

atrout wrote:

If Dr Sharples is such a well educated dude then he should know that there is no such thing as "compulsorily available". It is either available or compulsory. Certainly every school should have the resources to teach te Reo but to require every student to become fluent is not only impossible but counter productive. We have enough trouble in school getting Maori kids to study Maori subjects and compelling all kids to be involved would make it all the more unappealing. Ask a kid and ask the teachers how well Sharples' demands would be received... Compulsion is not only ineffectual it is also unethical.