Listen Now: 
Maori Party co-leader Marama Fox says it’s time for te reo Maori to be a core subject in schools.
Mrs Fox has participated in a range of activities for Maori language week, including joining Taura Whiri staff handing out promotional materials at Wellington railway station, and speaking about her own te reo journey at a Kahungunu language hui.
She says people need to be encouraged to use the language, even if they make mistakes with it, but it’s even more important to give all tamariki a sound foundation.
That means making it a core subject to year 8.
"Everyone goes you can’t have a compulsory subject everybody will get up in arms about it, well we already have 7, what are you talking about. We have 7 compulsory subjects I'm simply saying add it to the list. Make it the number 8 and then add the year 9 students, pick up a third language become trilingual," she says.
Marama Fox says her own children who have been through kohanga and kura are now picking up third and fourth languages.
Compulsory language in primary school also has the support of Labour Party leader Andrew Little.
Copyright © 2016, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com
RELATED NEWS
