‘Disappointing and short-sighted’ - teachers react to reo funding cuts
Thursday, 26 September 2024
Robots or well-rounded? The Government’s axing of reo Māori professional development could impact students’ ability to “flourish”, says PPTA.
Māori principals group says Education Minister Erica Stanford’s decision is an “act of cultural suppression”.
Kura kaupapa principal says programme loss is “backward thinking” by Government.
Teachers have been left in “shock and outrage” by the Government’s decision to axe reo Māori professional development and funnel the $30 million to maths instead.
Bruce Jepsen, president of Māori principals group Te Akatea, said members saw the move as a deliberate act of marginalising the language, “and therefore cultural suppression”.
The group expressed its “shock and outrage” at Education Minister Erica Stanford’s decision, he said.
“We will be working with members and other sector leaders over the coming weeks to formulate responses to these latest examples of the recolonisation of our classrooms and schools.”
On Thursday, Stanford announced the Government had yanked funding from Te Ahu o te Reo Māori, a programme to teach te reo to teachers.
“Since 2019, $100 million has funded this initiative which isn’t accredited and more than double the cost of similar courses available. An evaluation of the programme found no evidence it directly impacted progress,” she said.
Instead, about $30m would fund workbooks and teacher training for maths.
Jepsen said removing the programme created an accessibility barrier to the first language of this country.
“Many of our tamariki, whānau, teachers and leaders - both Māori and non-Māori - have benefited from enhancing their ability to speak te reo. Additionally, they have learned about our Māori culture and world through the acquisition of our language.”
Post-Primary Teachers Association president Chris Abercrombie said the move was “extremely disappointing, concerning and short-sighted”.
Abercrombie, a social studies teacher, said reading, writing and maths were important, but so were other learning areas.
“Is it about producing robots who can read, write and do maths equations or is it about helping children and young people to flourish and grow, with a range of knowledge and skills, who are truly comfortable in their own skins and able to thrive in the world?”
Abercrombie said the Minister knew there was room for improvement with Māori student achievement. “Te reo Māori use by teachers is a crucial element in success for Māori as it reinforces cultural identify,” he said.
Cultural identity assured tamariki and rangatahi Māori “that they belong, they are valued, and can be proud of who they are and where they come from”.
Fleur Wainohu, the principal at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Te Wānanga Whare Tapere o Takitimu, in Hastings, questioned why it was te reo development on the chopping block, “As though this was the least-valued within the professional development outline for teachers.”
Cutting funding was “a step backwards for our education system”, she said. “It sends a clear message that [te reo] Māori is not valued or a priority.”
The former Labour Government set aside $108m in its 2020 Budget to run the programme over four years beginning 2021, aiming to have 40,000 education staff pass the course by 2025.
Wainohu said it actively worked towards normalising te reo across all schooling sectors. It empowered teachers to use te reo in their programmes, supported the cultural needs of students and “respectfully acknowledged Māori as a Treaty partner”.
That Stanford said the Government remained steadfast in its commitment to reo Māori revitalisation while also saying maths was more of a priority “is backwards thinking”, Wainohu said.
New Zealand Educational Institute president Mark Potter said “teachers will continue to uphold te reo as a tāonga in their classrooms in spite of the minister of education’s decision”.
“The programme has helped both Māori and Pākehā kaiako [teachers] and ākonga [students] flourish in the reo and understanding of tikanga and te ao Māori,” he said.
“I speak to teachers and principals around the motu, and they say it’s helped boost their language confidence and proficiency, as well as challenging them. Our education system and our country is better off for being bilingual.”
The education minister was approached for comment.
What is it all about?
Te Ahu o te Reo Māori aimed to improve teachers’ and school staff's understanding of key elements of te reo. It was delivered by different agencies in each region of Aotearoa and covered:
Local words, phrases, karakia, waiata and sayings
Practice of reo use appropriate for a classroom setting
Foundations of grammar and writing conventions
Development of learning content for regular activity
Language planning for the school/early learning services/classroom.