New 'Kohanga Reo" series

Press, 13 July 1988, Page 16

New 'Kohanga Reo" series

A non-Maori-speaking Hong Kong Chinese, for whom English is a second language, is at the helm of a new series of the all-in-Maori children’s education programme, “Kohanga Reo.” “Kohanga Reo” producer/director Stephen Chu says linguistic problems have been readily overcome with help from his production assistant, Wendy Shortland, who is a fluent Maori speaker. “I can follow the basic

script — but I am by no means fluent. However, it is my job to visualise the programme, and using my expertise in this area doesn’t require fluency. “I am learning the language as we go along,” says Chu. “And I work on the policy that if the programme is working for me— it must be working for the children who watch it.” Kohanga Reo — Maori language nests — are now

an established alternative to regular kindergarten in many parts of New Zealand, and Chu says their aim is to foster quality child care within a family situation. Through them, he explains, it is hoped that Maori will survive not just as a language, but as a reflection of a vibrant living culture. The programmes bring the day-to-day activities of Kohanga Reo into homes around the country, and

Chu hopes they will provide entertainment and instruction for parents as well as children. Chu says the new series will not just record activities within Kohanga Reo, but will actively include the viewers, with teachers often talking directly to the camera. The 100 programmes were filmed at the Auckland University marae, and at the Waihetue Marae near Wellington.