July 06, 2018
Rich data gives insight to reo retention
The head of a study into pathways to Māori language revitalisation says it will give policymakers and advocacy groups hard data they can use to develop effective programmes.
Professor Te Kani Kingi from Te Whare Wānanga ō Awanuiārangi has secured a grant from the Children and Families Research Fund to analyse information gathered by the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal study.
He says there is a significant Māori cohort among the 7000 children who are being reported on each year until they are 21, so it will be the largest ever study of te reo Māori.
His team will be able to separate out the data from tamariki actively learning te reo Māori and those who aren’t.
Professor Kingi says the study will be able to test whether socioeconomic status is a factor in those who have the opportunity to learn te reo Māori, and confirm other studies such as a recent one showing tamariki were more likely to be learning Māori if their mother has a tertiary qualification.
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