More progress in delivering te reo Māori in schools

600 new te reo advocates are being sought following the success of a programme that supports the Government’s plan to integrate te reo Māori into education, Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis announced today.

Registrations for Te Ahu o te Reo Māori 2020 are now open, with courses starting from February onwards.

“We know educational success is higher for tamariki who learn in or through te reo Māori. That’s why our Government is committed to every child having te reo Māori in their learning by 2025,” Kelvin Davis said.

“To help us achieve this goal, we launched Te Ahu o te Reo Māori this year, with nearly 700 teachers giving it a go. It was such a hit, we’ve decided to do it again in 2020.

“People will need to be quick. There are already over 900 expressions of interest for next year’s courses,” Kelvin Davis said.

Other Government initiatives to support Māori students to succeed as Māori include:

• Te Kawa Matakura - an education programme that will grow future young Māori leaders through mātauranga and te reo Māori.
• Addressing racism and unconscious bias across the system with a $42 million investment in Te Hurihanganui.
• A $32 million funding boost for Kōhanga Reo to upgrade buildings, lift wages, and allow volunteers to be paid.
• Reforms of Tomorrow’s Schools to create meaningful change for ākonga Māori and their whānau.

Further info on Te Ahu o te Reo Māori and how to register can be found here: https://education.govt.nz/our-work/overall-strategies-and-policies/te-ahu-o-te-reo-maori-fostering-education-in-te-reo-maori/

Notes to editors:

In total, for 2019:

• 685 teachers, kaiako, principals and support staff took part in Te Ahu o te Reo Māori.
• 576 participants completed the course.
• 109 either withdrew or didn’t complete the course.