‘More Maori-speaking teachers needed’

Press, 5 April 1988, Page 48

‘More Maori-speaking teachers needed’

PA : Hamilton More qualified Maorispeaking J teachers are needed, 1 to develop the language (n New Zealand because numbers of fluent Maori Speakers are diminishing (Without being relaced, 'says a Hamilton I Maori lecturer. : 9 Mr Milie Rollings, of Waikato University’s 1 Maori Studies i Departmerit, said there were virtually no children growing up speaking Maori as their mother *°Ther ’ were about 2 per i cent Of Maori children I whd had I access to billnabal education and those who were enrolled in billpgual programmes often did not speak Maori Hi 'I! M <

at (the end of the programme because of lack of resources, he said. i jin areas where there were bilingualj schools bilingual levels in the community were being maintained but in areas where it! had stopped the language was dying out, Mr Rollings said. J J j j Development of the bilingual programme in New Zealand meant more trained teachers,had to be found. (j A lot of schools wanted to j start bilingual programmes but did not have the trained staff or the resources. • ‘ i I A change in attitudes to jMaori language would help. For instance, if a school taught that learnh I • • ■ ■

ing Maori was "it tells the j children they are as important as Eng-lish-speaking children.” With everything which had status at school being taught in Maori, like reading and writing, children’s attitudes to themselves would change. "When they feel good about themselves it will do a lot to (improve their academic achievements.” It was already being seen that Maori children in bilingual schools were happier and doing better! and their ' parents were happier, Mr Rollings said. If bilingualism was not implemented and more jbilingual teachers were jnot found' social costs would be high, he said, i I O. H ■!