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Download AudioIkaroa-Rāwhiti MP Cushla Tangaere-Manuel says it’s hard to quantify the value of a child being in an environment where their identity is reinforced.
She’s rejecting Education Minister Erica Stanford’s excuse that lack of value for money was the reason she’s pulling $30 million from Te Ahu o te Reo Māori, a programme to help teachers use more te reo Māori in the classroom, and putting it into maths resources.
She says even having a teacher who can pronounce a child’s name properly can make a difference, and she knows many older Māori who have carried the harm of losing their given name at school.
“What seems to be the underlying message here is – ‘look here Māori mā, you’ve got your schools. We’ll resource you in your schools.’ There are more Māori in mainstream schools than there are in kura. I don’t care how she justifies this, about how we are going to have more books and all that. that’s not going to add up to $30 million,” Ms Tangaere-Manuel says.
The Minister’s claims also fly in the face of an independent review – which found the programme was in high demand, its providers were exceptional and engagement from participants was outstanding.
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