‘Te Kohanga Reo’ (The Language Nest)

Tu Tangata, Issue 6, 1 June 1982, Page 8

‘Te Kohanga Reo’ (The Language Nest)

“ whanau/family education programmes should be more bi-cultural with an emphasis on Maoritanga and kinship values particularly in preschool and elementary education.”

(Tu Tangata Wananga Whakatauira 1980)

Today, society has difficulty in solving many of its social problems thrown up by our modern way of life. The traditional Maori value system of whanau can be utilised to manoeuvre communities past many of these difficulties, particularly the constant stress upon young families.

In the case of the Maori, the extended family system or whanau still remains after a battering over the last 30 or 40 years. But now the “working mother” customs needs to be recognised and accommodated. The application of whanau methods is already helping to meet this new habit but it needs to do more.

Another device is bilingual programmes in Maori and English for under five-year-olds. Maori people are striving very hard to revive the spoken Maori language. There are many efforts such as the introduction into the high schools of Maori as an optional study language.

In similar fashion, there are courses at universities and over the last year, community programmes spearheaded in the “rakau” style. Yet none of these can do more than stimulate and encourage individuals to take initiatives themselves.

What is needed is a home environment where Maori language is spoken naturally as one of our two native tongues the other being English.

The Te Kohanga Reo programme is designed to stimulate growth of Maori whanau centres that offer the best child care in an environment of Maoritanga. Where Maori is the language. Where love and care spring from the whanau. These centres can be in many places. In our homes, on marae, in churches, in factories, offices, kokiri centres anywhere people decide to use the whanau value system.

This progamme will demonstrate how children can become bilingual in Maori and English by the age of five years.

Controlling authority

The organisation responsible for the management of a Te Kohanga Reo programme must be well respected and an effective Maori agency. This agency might well share the responsibility with

the Maori Education Foundation or the Department of Maori Affairs. But in any case management and control must be of the highest order.

It is anticipated that there will be a shared responsibility for setting up of any programme between the Department of Maori Affairs, the Maori Education Foundation and the local community agency. The Maori Education Foundation will in fact provide training and development for project supervisors by appointing one or more national coordinators.

General operation

It is envisaged that the Te Kohanga Reo programme will operate using the same basic principles for child care and growth at present adopted by the best pre-school, kindergarten, or play centre organisations.

The difference will be the use of Maori language as the only means of verbal communication in the centre. This will require therefore the development of a Maori atmosphere to meet a

child’s needs in the areas of love, training and affection. This brings a demand for exceptional people in the form of supervisors who can meet the rigorous requirements that come from normal child rearing, and in addition provide Maori language and style. The centres would be open Monday to Friday at times convenient to parents. It

will provide a full day service at reasonable cost to parents. Children will receive the best care food, play facilities, a nursery, and health protection. In fact, no child will be admitted to the centre without full counselling being undertaken with parents and their total agreement to participating in the programme for at least three years exceptions can be negotiated.

Accommodation Each facility will provide adequate living space for young children. There will be a large general living room plus a smaller area which will serve as a nursery where younger children in the cot stage can have peace and comfort. There will also be good outside playing areas, well protected and with sufficient equipment. There should be no objects that would cause physical injury to a child, such as a heater or sharp furniture. In other words, all the normal facilities and equipment that one would expect to find in a very good pre-school or child care centre will be available in the Te Kohanga Reo.

Supervisors Sufficient supervisors will be recruited and receive a salary according to their qualification and performance. But they must have at least the following minimum qualifications (1) Must be native Maori speakers who have lived in a Maori speaking community up to at least the age of 15 years. (2) Must have raised children of their own or as whangai. (3) Must be at least over the age of 35 years. (4) Must be able to carry out a full day’s work caring for growing children. (5) Must have a good relationship with the local Maori communities to the extent that they are recognised as a person who is both reliable, trustworthy and resourceful. Counselling Overall it is essential that parents have counselling sessions both before

their children enter the programme and continuously throughout the growth period of the child up to and including the age of five years. This will be the responsibility of the national co-ordinator and the controlling agency assisted by the Te Kohanga Reo supervisors. It must be seen as part of the mobilisation of the whanau system. It is vital that parents be fully aware of what is involved in the operation and that they accept the proposal. There will be the need for some legal contracts to be signed by the parents with the controlling agency to ensure that matters

such as fees and permission for urgent emergency medical treatment can be dealt with. In other words, the normal procedures required in any child custody situation where the parents are not present.

Monitoring

The consent of the parents will be necessary for children to have their own individual records kept by the centre. The responsibility for setting up this monitoring system rests with the national co-ordinator. It will be the national co-ordinator’s job to produce at the end of a child’s period in the centre a personalised publication, similar to a case history for the parents and the child.

The records of development of each child should be available for use by the Department of Maori Affairs or the community organisation only on the consent of the parents. In other words, any record of a child is to be kept confidential and be the basis which both national co-ordinators and supervisors would use when discussing a child’s development with the parents. These discussions should take place at least on a monthly basis.

the family, the basis of all Maori life, has been under threat. Some of the young have had no one to guide them, the old have had no one to teach. Without this life-stream the heart of Maoridom has slowed its beat ... they (the young people) must be able to maintain their cultural heritage...”

(Minister of Maori Affairs “This is your Future”)