A new bilingual course in Rotorua is helping migrant learners connect with Aotearoa’s bicultural identity.
The ten-week programme combines English and te reo Māori, teaching pepeha, Te Arawa stories, and local history. Participants also gain a nationally recognised qualification to support future work or study.
Developed by Speech New Zealand, Te Tatau o Te Arawa, and the Rotorua Multicultural Council, President Dr Margriet Theron says the course builds confidence and deepens understanding of Māori culture and leaders.
“One of the students said he was driving past the Sir Howard Morrison Performing Arts Center, and he was wondering, why did they name this beautiful building, Sir Howard Morrison? And then his talk in the examination was about Sir Howard, and now, he knows. Now he understands what an important figure, Sir Howard was in Rotorua. It still is in Rotorua life,” says Theron.
