As Te Wiki o te Reo Māori begins, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori Chief Executive Ngahiwi Apanui-Barr is calling for greater investment in reo Māori infrastructure and a shift in how fluent speakers support learners.
Apanui-Barr says the biggest barrier to learning te reo Māori is whakama, the shame and fear of making mistakes, urging fluent speakers to empathise and nurture learners with kindness, not correction.
“The biggest barrier to people speaking te reo Māori is whakamā — worry and fear about making a mistake. None of us were born perfect speakers. We learned it as we went along,” says Ngahiwi Apanui-Barr.
He also highlights the long-term benefits of kura kaupapa Māori, citing evidence that students from kura are less likely to end up in prison and more likely to succeed academically.
“Kids that go to kura are six and a half times less likely to go to jail than our generation. They get better jobs, higher educational outcomes,” says Ngahiwi Apanui-Barr.
