June 05, 2019
Kōhanga gets boost for wages, buildings
The crown has finally responded to the Waitangi Tribunal's Kōhanga Reo Report with a $32 million Wellbeing Budget investment in the movement.
In 2012 the tribunal found in favour of the Kōhanga Reo National Trust's claim that the crown had under-funded kōhanga and effectively assimilated the movement into its early childhood education regime under the Ministry of Education, stifling its vital role in saving and promoting the Māori language.
Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis says the new funding will significantly lift wages, allow volunteers to be paid, update ICT capacity, and fund a stock take and repairs of buildings.
It includes:
$2.5 million to improve information and communications technology;
$8.5 million to assess and start fixing kōhanga buildings;
and $21.4 million to increase existing pay rates for kaiako and kaimahi to the Government's stated 2021 minimum wage rate; maintain a level of existing relative pay rates for kaiako and kaimahi already above the minimum wage; and to pay kaiako and kaimahi currently working as volunteers in roles that would normally be expected to be remunerated.
Mr Davis says kōhanga reo are essential to the survival of te reo Māori and the first responders to teach it to the next generation.