The New Zealand government’s move to reduce the number of Te Reo Māori words in its primary education books would be detrimental to language revitalisation, an acadmeic says.
Earlier this month, RNZ reported leaked documents from Aotearoa’s education ministry found plans to remove all Māori words except for character names from new books in its Read Phonics Plus series for five to seven-year-old students.
The papers revealed the decision was made because of concerns too many Māori words would confuse children learning English.
Dr Toiroa Williams from the Auckland University of Technology’s Te Ipukarea Research Institute says research points to the opposite.
“I’m saddened in how they are buying into this idea that because child learns an extra Māori word it will be the demise of a child’s future,” he says.
“When we learn more than one language, research clearly shows children are more engaged and developed.”
Dr Te Toiroa Arapeta Williams, a descendant of the, Nukutere, Mātaatua, Tauira and Tainui Waka is a lecturer at the Auckland University of Technology
He says the government’s plans will hinder work being done to strengthen Te Reo Māori.
“It only takes one generation to lose an Indigenous language … and to get it back it to a speaking language it’ll take a minimum of three, four, potentially five generations to get it back,” he says.
Parents can make change at home
Dr Williams says with uncertainty around future government policies, families need to keep their languages alive at home.
“The real fight is actually going into our homes and speaking to our children and making that change in our home. That’s a space government can not control,” he says.
“And with your children and your parents and even your grandparents, as long as your language is alive in there and protected, then that’s a space where you can grow.”
Feature photo by Leroy de Thierry on Unsplash
