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The Government has launched a $ 108 million program to train 40,000 teachers and school personnel in Te reo Maori.
Deputy Education Minister Kelvin Davis said registrations were now open for Te Ahu o te Reo Māori, a program to normalize the language for use in everyday classroom life.
The government set aside about $ 108 million in its 2020 budget to run the program over four years, with the goal of training about 40,000 employees starting in 2021.
Approximately 10,000, comprising elementary and middle school teachers and non-teaching support staff, could join the program in each of its four years.
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Davis defended spending the money on creating a broader, but less expert, level of language understanding.
He said the funding laid the foundation for the government to achieve its goal of one million speakers by 2040.
“We need as many … educators on board as possible to integrate Te reo Māori into the curriculum on a daily basis.”
Davis said, in te reo, that he thought mainstream teachers could eventually achieve deep and broad understanding in their classes, and although the program had just started, he hoped that teachers would continue to improve their own understanding of the language: “Yes, this is the real hope, for teachers, of reaching the full range of Maori Reo in their classes. Although they have just started, they want to continue training and strengthen their own languages ”.
Davis said about 1,000 people graduated from the program last year when it was tested in four regions.
The show was about “reinforcing our commitment to Te Tiriti or Waitangi,” he said.
“And most importantly, to give our young people the opportunity to learn their culprit and better support them to be successful in education as Maori.”
The announcement comes as a resurgent Maori Party re-enters Parliament and vows to put pressure on Labor on Maori issues, as it enjoys a mandate without the need to make concessions in any coalition agreement.
Local government minister Nanaia Mahuta has already indicated that the government will make changes to the law that places the creation of Maori districts at the mercy of public referendums.
What do they learn?
Te Ahu o te Reo Māori would aim to enhance teachers’ and school staff’s understanding of the key elements of the te reo Māori.
- Local words, phrases, sentences, songs and sayings
- Classroom Appropriate Reuse Practice
- Fundamentals of grammar and writing conventions.
- Development of learning content for regular activity.
- Language planning for school / early learning services / classroom.