Nau Mai, Haere mai, ki te wiki o te Reo Māori!
This week is Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) and children right across the school have an extra focus on ‘things Māori’ as they go about their daily work. This is a wonderful opportunity to consolidate the Te Reo learning we have already done in classes and to raise the profile of Māori language around the school. I thought I would take the opportunity to share with you why we we teach Te Reo in our classes:
- There is no other country in the whole world where you can learn to speak this beautiful language!
- What makes us unique and special as kiwis is our unique and indigenous culture. Regardless of our own heritage, we can all connect with our ‘Kiwiness’ through Te Reo me ōna Tikanga Māori.
- Te Reo Maori is an endangered language - in order for it to thrive, we must all breathe life into it by speaking what we can, when we can.
- In many other developed countries, children can speak 2-3 languages; speaking our indigenous language helps our Tamariki to be leaders and stand confidently on the world stage.
- The Treaty of Waitangi, our founding document, states that all Māori have the right to speak and learn their own language. The National Education Guidelines ensure that schools meet their obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi.
- Last but not least, IT’S COOL TO KŌRERO!
