Listen Now: 
The University of Waikato and Te Matatini are trying to professionalise judging of kapa haka.
Senior lecturer Te Kahautu Maxwell says the university has designed a post graduate certificate for assessing te reo Maori in a competitive context.
He says in the past judges have been former performers chosen for their knowledge of aspects of the Maori performing arts, but introduction of points for Maori language has added a new dimension to competitions.
The course will include a theory paper, including grammar, punctuation, tribal dialects and the use of poetical license, and a practical paper where students will assess clips of past Te Matatini performances.
"They will be assessing the mita, diction, enunciation of the language. In the past judges have not had to do this but now there is such an emphasis on te reo because it is part of the aggregate system," Mr Kahautu Maxwell says.
Ten scholarships have been created to help people take the course.
Copyright © 2015, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com
RELATED NEWS
