Key points:
- The PM has defended reprioritising $30m in funding, which originally went towards a Māori language programme for teachers.
- The Government says a review found the programme was not affecting student achievement.
- Critics say the programme was transformative, helping to integrate the language into the classroom.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has defended the scrapping of $30 million from a Māori language programme for teachers just days are Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori, calling it ineffective.
“Just because we’ve cancelled a programme, doesn’t mean that we’re not committed to te reo,” Luxon said.
“But what it does mean is we’re not afraid to cancel programmes that are not working.”
But critics questioned the decision.
“It’s kind of strange, isn’t it, that only a short period of time after Te Wiki o te reo Māori, here we are cutting resourcing for the development of te reo Māori,” NZEI Te Riu Rua president Mark Potter said.
Te Ahu o Te Reo Māori was first piloted in 2019, offering free lessons to teachers to better integrate te reo Māori in the classroom.
Te Ahu o te reo Māori teacher Teraania Ormsby-Tekī said there “are many benefits, including supporting the growth of our treaty partners across the Tauranga region”.
A teacher who went through the course, Jenna-Lee Pfeifer, praised its outcomes.
“It gave me so much more than just language learning. It allowed me to connect with my local community and learn more about the tikanga of the area.”
But Education Minister Erica Stanford said a review into the programme found no evidence it was directly impacting student achievement.
“This particular programme was not delivering on the contract. Around about half of the people who were enrolling in it weren’t finishing the course,” Stanford said.
1News requested a copy of the review but the minister declined and instead directed us to the Ministry of Education. The Ministry also declined, saying it would be released next week.
But Potter said there “is no report saying there is no evidence”.
“We haven’t seen it.”
A review in 2020 found the programme was meeting its intended outcomes, significantly improving pronunciation and staff confidence to use te reo.
“It’s been so transformative,” Pfeifer said.
The funding has been reallocated for maths resources.
