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Greens Maori development spokesperson Marama Davidson says making te reo Maori a compulsory part of the school curriculum is overdue.
She’s heartened by the support shown by teacher unions, education think tanks and the wider community to the Green plan to.
It’s catching up with what is already happening in those mainstream schools which are adding basic Maori language lessons to the curriculum.
"In a community level, in a community setting it is the young non – Maori coming home and sharing their excitement at having grasped another language and passing it on to their parents. This is the move and the shift that we know is happening in our communities. And it's time for the government to step up and play their part," she says.
Marama Davidson says it will take a lot of time and effort to get the resources in place for teaching Maori in all.
FULL INTERVIEW WITH MARAMA DAVIDSON
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