October 14, 2014
Reo rights need defending
A Maori language educator says complacency is hampering efforts to increase the number of people learning and speaking Maori.
Sophie Nock is a senior lecturer at Waikato University’s Te Pua Wananga ki te Ao School of Maori and Pacific Development who is organising a one-day symposium in December on revitalisation of te reo Maori.
She says there is complacency from the Education Ministry, which isn’t looking for the most effective means of teaching.
There is also disinterest or complacency from a majority of young Maori.
"You know there are a lot of our young people brought up in the cities, disconnected from their iwi, disconnected from their hapu, and they really don't have a clue what they are missing out on. So it's trying to figure out how we can entice these people to come over and have an experience, and you never know, they might like it," she says.
Sophie Nock says te reo is the birthright of every tamariki Maori, so they all need to be given the opportunity to learn.
FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WITH SOPHIE NOCK CLICK ON THE LINK
https://secure.zeald.com/uma/play_podcast?podlink=MjMwNDQ=
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