November 14, 2022
Kōhanga at odds on reo target
The co-chair of the Kōhanga Reo National Trust says a target of 30 percent of Māori students enrolled in Māori immersion schools by 2040 won’t happen without appropriate statutory support – such as a Māori education authority.
Daniel Procter says while Kōhanga Reo celebrated its 40th anniversary at the weekend, it has also been 40 years of neglect from the crown which has not given the movement the support it was entitled to.
He says kōhanga reo is the best start for tamariki Maori and gives them the foundation to achieve in whatever world they choose to walk in.
“I’m bilingual, bicultural, and confident in all spaces. Imagine if all of our whānau were able to step in to the light with that type of confidence, we would move the nation,” he says.
Daniel Procter says while the government has vetoed a Māori education authority, it’s the only way to reach the goals in education that Māori have set.