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National | Education

Educators challenged to value te reo

Educators are being challenged afresh to understand the value of te reo Māori as a compulsory subject.  Māori language expert Hana O'Reagan believes this will result in higher achievement for students.

“Most teachers don't understand the place of te reo, its importance and prestigious stature as well as Māori culture,” says O’Reagan.

CORE Education facilitator Anahera McGregory agrees and says most teachers are keen to teach te reo, they just need to be equipped.

“Teachers need to be supported so they can teach te reo,” says McGregory, "Through funding for resources and facilitators up-skilling teachers in schools, they will become passionate about te reo Māori.”

Digital Readiness is a new resource strand to help teachers get ready for new digital curricula content.

“It's about creating relevant resources that will engage everyone with a Māori perspective,” says CORE Education Kaitiaki, Paula Collins, “That's the purpose of Digital Readiness."

The Greens are calling for te reo to be a core subject in primary and intermediate schools by 2025.