By Lachlan Forsyth
Raise the issue of whether Te Reo should be compulsorily taught, and invariably people will ask 'what's the point?'
Here's the thing though: Speak to educators, and they'll tell you that learning another language helps children with their native tongue as well. The earlier they start, the easier it is.
That's why you can go to certain schools around Auckland and you'll find pupils learning Mandarin, courtesy of the Chinese government.
But those same schools receive nothing from the New Zealand Government to offer pupils the equivalent learning in Maori.
Why not?
Like they do every Monday afternoon, pupils at Takapuna Normal Intermediate are getting their weekly dose of Mandarin.
At just half an hour a week, it won't get them speaking fluently, but it can spark an interest in the language and culture, and what's more, the specialist tutors teaching the kids, come at no cost to the schools.
It’s all provided by the local branch of the Confucius Institute. The Institute aims is to build ties and strengthen relationships between China and other countries. It's effectively funded by the Chinese government because they can see the long-term benefits in teaching Kiwi kids another language and culture. And it's not just the Chinese who can see the benefits. The Korean embassy has looked at this model and seen the real benefits that derive from it.
So the Koreans and the Chinese are coughing up to teach our kids their languages. Now mother, grandmother, and Te Reo advocate Raewyn Harrison wants the New Zealand government to do the same for Maori.
“This model shows you don't have to be a qualified teacher, that's the beauty of it. The teacher remains in the classroom, you have your Te Reo assistant who comes into the classroom and teaches the children,” she says.
Raewyn sees this as a chance to address the issues that have always faced Te Reo: Lack of resources, lack of funding, and a lack of teachers
“Maori is unique to NZ. It is our language, it is a national language, and we are always willing to showcase Maori at every other opportunity - the Rugby World Cup, different sporting events, I think it's high time as a country we invested in the language so that it doesn't die, so that it continues to grow,” she says.
Around a quarter of a billion dollars is provided for Te Reo initiatives every year - Raewyn says just a fraction of that amount could fund Te Reo teaching assistants in schools throughout the country.
“One of the challenges for primary schools in New Zealand is we don't have enough Te Reo speakers,” says Owen Alexander of Takapuna Normal Intermediate. “I think it would be a perfect scenario to have a Maori language assistant in our schools.”
Of course, there are those who question the value of teaching Te Reo to children, but learning another language - any language - has been shown to have benefits far beyond simply knowing how to speak another tongue.
“All the research undoubtedly points to the earlier you start a language the better it is for the child. Not only do they learn a second language, they understand their native tongue. So for us to learn mandarin or Maori really improves our understanding of the English language,” said Mr Alexander.
Yes, Maori is spoken only in New Zealand, but Irish Gaelic is spoken only in Ireland, and yet it's heard widely throughout the country, and successfully taught alongside English at all schools.
“If you look overseas there are many countries that offer their children three or four languages,” says Brenda McPherson of Windy Ridge Primary School. “They are coming through state systems learning three or four languages easily and competently, and they are fluent, so in that sense New Zealand is probably not quite up to speed.”
“I've just returned from Singapore where they speak three languages without hesitation from a very early age. Wouldn't that be great in New Zealand?” Says Mr Alexander.
The idea has political backing. Trade minister Tim Groser added his support when he spoke on The Nation earlier this year.
“My personal view is we should be teaching Maori to every five-year-old child, and this is turning the usual Pakeha argument on its head, because what I think should happen is that you introduce very young children to the idea of biculturalism and more than one language, and then they will be able to learn other languages as their personal circumstances fit,” Mr Grosser said in April.
The argument - not only does learning Te Reo assist children with their wider education, it provides a reflection of who we are as a people, and what we are as a culture.
“We take great pride in the things native to New Zealand in relation to our flora and fauna. We invest a lot of money into ensuring those don't become extinct, and yet we seem a little bit slow adopting that methodology around the language,” says Ms McPherson.
Campbell Live