December 07, 2023
Limit te reo classes for teachers says Seymout
ACT leader David Seymour says it may be a waste of time and resources for teachers in mainstream education to learn te reo Māori.
The coalition Government is reviewing the use of te reo Māori across the public sector, with Public Sector Minister Nicola Willis seeking advice on removing incentives paid by government agencies.
Mr Seymour says ACT supports Māori medium schools and kura kaupapa, but funds for professional development for kaiako need to go where they are most effective.
“If it’s going to be useful for their job, that’s the question. So if they’re a teacher who is going to be teaching te reo Māori, absolutely. If they’re a teacher who wants their career to take them into the Māori medium, then absolutely. But if it’s purely as a blanket thing when perhaps that teacher has no intention of ever teaching te reo or working in a Māori medium environment then I’d question whether that’s the best use of their time or anyone’s resources,” he says.
The previous Government created programmes to encourage all teachers to be comfortable with incorporating te reo Maori into the classroom.