Latest news with #AttheMarae
NZ Herald
2 days ago
- General
- NZ Herald
Te reo book snub is all about sanitising the system: Wyn Drabble
The Education Ministry's decision not to reprint At the Marae is farcical, writes Wyn Drabble. Well, you could have knocked me down with the gentle swish of a kahu kiwi. You could have knocked me face-down into my kai. I'm talking about the Education
The Spinoff
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Spinoff
Pulling a learn-to-read book with six kupu Māori is another educational assault
Restricting the use of te reo Māori words in books for tamariki learning to read further alienates Māori in the education system – and that has enormous consequences, writes Tansy Oliver. Six words: m arae, karanga, wharenui, koro, hongi, karakia. These are the controversial words that Erica Stanford and the Ministry of Education believe are so confusing for our tamariki that the book in which they appear, At the Marae – a book from the Ready to Read series designed to teach five-year-olds using a structured literacy model, by decoding (sounding out) words – should not be reprinted. This is a decision that challenges not only literacy and language-learning principles but also how much we value and uphold our bicultural educational system in Aotearoa. It may seem like this is a decision based purely on educational theory and pedagogy. However, this is where opinions are divided. Education vs politics is a common battleground in New Zealand, but this issue goes straight to the heart of how we value and respect the culture and heritage of our tangata whenua. Māori are the indigenous people of this country and it is essential we revitalise and normalise the use and value of te reo Māori in all settings, especially in our schools. Te reo Māori should not be weaponised as a political tool to sow racism and division. In 1958, my mother was seven years old and about to emigrate from Britain to Aotearoa. My grandfather told the family that when they reached New Zealand, they would learn to speak Māori because that was the language of the indigenous people. Unfortunately, his excitement at this new language and culture awaiting them only lasted as long as their voyage here. But that story has always lived in my heart as I struggled over the last four decades to understand why reo Māori was not given the place it deserves in Aotearoa. For us to be fighting for the addition of six kupu Māori in a book for children, 67 years later, feels regressive at best, and like cultural violence at worst. To assume that our tamariki at five years old are incapable of learning six reo Māori words is insulting to our children, our teachers and our nation. Recently released documents showed Erica Stanford personally directed the Ministry of Education to stop producing texts in the Ready to Read series with Māori words in them. This decision was based on the premise that structured literacy and phonics now teach children to decode words, learning letters and blending sounds together. Māori words fall under the category of 'heart' words – words that must be learned by sight or memory, instead of being decoded. Structured literacy purists believe the amount of heart words must be kept to a minimum, because they increase cognitive load, or mental effort. This is where children need reading and spelling to become automatic processes in the brain, so the cognitive load is reduced. This opens up other pathways in the brain to be utilised for more sophisticated learning later on. However, there are also many benefits to be had from learning more than one language, especially at five years old. And new entrants are more than capable of learning and retaining other heart words, especially ones that are directly related to the language and culture of our indigenous people. The research is divided about how we add other languages into a pure structured literacy approach when children are learning to read. But one thing is certain – te reo Māori is not only the official language of New Zealand, it is also one of our greatest taonga. As such, it must be included and valued in our schools and society. The value of taking home a book that includes your culture and language to share with your whānau while you learn to read cannot be underestimated. This helps tamariki to feel their way of life and language is visible and normalised – that it has value and mana. If children do not feel their culture and language are reflected in their education, then they can feel alienated from school and learning. Many Māori students and their whānau have experienced the pain and frustration of feeling isolated and misunderstood in their schooling. Once that process of alienation starts, it is very difficult to reverse it. Sadly, the alienation of Māori from education has had enormous consequences in New biggest inequities between Pākehā and Māori start early, at school. Recent statistics show 28% of Māori students left school in 2024 with no qualifications, while only 14% of Pākehā did. The refusal to reprint At the Marae feeds into a pathway of systemic racism that exists in our education system and beyond. Words, language and literacy matters. But what matters more is the mana and pride tamariki feel when their language and culture is valued and respected. Te reo Māori is a taonga, a living and breathing treasure that is passed down through the generations. It must be protected, celebrated and, most of all, spoken. Our role as educators should never be to diminish or devalue any language or words, but to raise up and nurture all language and literacy. To restrict or eliminate the ability of our students to learn te reo Māori is to commit cultural violence against Māori. Now, those six words will be remembered as the start of yet another educational assault against indigenous people.
NZ Herald
4 days ago
- General
- NZ Herald
Education Minister cut Māori words from future junior books, documents reveal
The ministry's report said: 'Under this option, we would not include kupu Māori in all phases of the RtRPP scope and sequence for any future books. The 13 RtRPP books currently in development do not contain any kupu Māori, apart from character names.' It was not clear in the paper whether the books would be reprinted. 'As noted above, the RtRPP resources are expected to have a lifespan in schools of approximately 10 years, so it would take several years for the books containing kupu Māori that are currently in circulation to be replaced in practice.' The document showed Stanford also instructed the ministry to develop a teaching sequence in the English curriculum to help teachers prepare children to read Māori words from their second year at school. Stanford told RNZ that would stop teaching children in mainstream classrooms to pronounce and read Māori from being 'left to chance'. The ministry's document said currently from Year 4, Māori words were included in the curriculum with increasing frequency and complexity. Stanford told RNZ she considered rewriting the 27 books that contained Māori words to retain only the proper nouns in Māori, but later decided against it. 'These are very early readers that teach children to learn to read and there are already 'heart' words in there that children have to memorise in English and if there are some te reo words in there as well, then that's okay and we'll leave them as they are,' she said. She described the decision as the middle position between conflicting advice. The minister's October decision included reprinting one of the books, 'At the Marae', as a big book but not as a 'reader' for children to take home – something that angered many teachers and principals in the past week. The document showed Stanford raised the issue after 'experts in structured literacy approaches' told her that including two different languages in the books could confuse learners and make it harder for them to master English phonetics. The ministry's paper said evidence about that was mixed but there was a case to consider the amount of Māori words in books for children learning to read. Literacy experts told RNZ this week Māori words were part of everyday New Zealand English and did not present problems for beginning readers because their spelling was regular and their vowel sounds matched some of the English vowels. The document said 26 of the 75 Ready to Read books had up to three Māori words and a 27th, At the Marae, had six Māori words. A handwritten note on the document showed the minister wanted te reo Māori introduced when children stopped using 'decodable' books like the Ready to Read series, usually at the end of their first year at school or early in their second year. 'I want to include in the NZC (English) a section on Te Reo vowel sounds and pronunciation to ready students for reading te reo words in school journals as previously discussed,' she wrote. Stanford also noted that: 'Interestingly – I asked kura leaders if they would accept English words in te reo Māori decodable books and they said no. So it would be consistent to keep one language only in very early Year 1 decodable books, except for names.' The ministry's paper said the Ready to Read series was designed to teach the reading of English 'and the sound-letter correspondences in English'. 'Our advice to schools is to teach kupu Māori in RtRPP books as 'told' words. The foundational skill of phonic decoding within the resources is based on the English language and students are not expected to decode the kupu Māori,' it said. The paper warned the options could result in pushback from schools. 'If we discontinue the use of kupu Māori (apart from character names) in RtRPP books, there may be a negative response and media attention. [REDACTED] In particular, recalling existing books has the potential to generate pushback.' The minister wrote in response: 'It's only in Year 1 decodable books that teach English and it would align with the approach taken in te reo decodables. Te Reo would be introduced immediately after the use of decodable stops which is typically end of Year 1 early Year 2 where students move on to journals.'
1News
4 days ago
- Politics
- 1News
Fury as ministry cans kids book for too many Māori words
The Education Ministry has canned a reader for junior children because it has too many Māori words, infuriating Te Akatea, the Māori Principals' Association. The association's president Bruce Jepsen said the decision not to reprint At the Marae was racist and white supremacist. The ministry told schools At the Marae, did not fit the sequence that young children were now taught to decode words using the structured literacy approach. However, it had been re-sized into a "big book format" that teachers could use to read with pupils. "The decision was guided by phonics sequencing and decoding suitability, rather than a defined word-count threshold," the ministry told RNZ. ADVERTISEMENT A page from At the Marae. (Source: Screenshot/Ministry of Education) "Unlike other titles in the series, which typically include no more than three kupu Māori (excluding character names), At the Marae featured six different kupu Māori. While these words reflect everyday language used in classrooms and communities, the higher number presented decoding challenges within the phonics sequence used in the series." The ministry said decisions about reader suitability were made through "a collaborative review process involving literacy experts, educators, and cultural advisors". "This makes sure resources are developmentally appropriate, culturally responsive, and aligned with the principles of structured literacy." Jepsen told RNZ he did not accept the ministry's reason for ceasing new prints of the book. "It sounds like a real poor excuse for a really poor decision," he said. "Make no mistake, our members see this move as an act of white supremacy. It's an act of racism. It's a determined act to recolonize our education system, and it sends a very dangerous message and is immensely harmful and it's utterly shameful." ADVERTISEMENT A page from At the Marae. (Source: Screenshot/Ministry of Education) Jepsen said he had not had time to complain to the ministry about the decision because his phone would not stop ringing with calls from principals who were outraged and devastated by the news. "Our members view this as a blatant attack on our language, dismissal of our culture, and an assault on our identity as Māori," he said. "Our members liken this decision to the introduction of the Education Ordinance Act of 1847 and the Native Schools Act of 1867. Both of these oppressive acts of colonisation sought to eradicate te reo Māori in schools, and we see the removal of books that carry our language as being exactly the same." Jepsen said books like At the Marae showed educators' commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi and to an anti-racist, decolonising and equity-focused way of teaching. A page from At the Marae. (Source: Screenshot/Ministry of Education) A school principal and member of the Aotearoa Education Collective, Lynda Knight, said children used readers in group sessions, at home and for independent reading so they were likely to spend more time with those than with the "big book" versions. ADVERTISEMENT She said At the Marae should be reprinted as a reader. "The Māori words that are in the book are all very common words heard in New Zealand everyday life and our kids should know them," she said. They're words like karanga, wharenui, koro, hongi and karakia and kai. So I struggle to actually understand why they would be too hard for children to read when they're part of their lived experience anyway."
Scoop
08-08-2025
- Politics
- Scoop
Māori Principals And Leaders Condemn Ministry Of Education's Decision To Remove At The Marae From Schools
Te Akatea Incorporated represents hundreds of Māori principals and leaders throughout Aotearoa. We express our collective outrage and deep disappointment at the Ministry of Education's decision not to reprint the small student reader versions of At the Marae, citing the book's high use of te reo Māori. This decision is a direct attack on our language, a dismissal of our culture, and an assault on our identity as Māori. Our members draw a direct parallel between this action and historic acts of colonisation, such as the Education Ordinance Act of 1847 and the Native Schools Act of 1867. Both acts were designed to eradicate te reo Māori in schools. Removing and resources that celebrate and normalise our language is no different; it is a continuation of those oppressive policies. The Treaty of Waitangi Act was introduced in 1975. This means that for 50 years, Māori and non-Māori educators have worked tirelessly to revitalise te reo Māori and embed it in our schools. This work aligns with Te Tiriti o Waitangi and anti-racist, equity-focused educational practice. Books like At the Marae are vital tools that allow children—97% of Māori in English-medium settings, and many non-Māori who embrace the opportunity—to see, read, and speak our language. We view this decision and the decision Minister Stanford made last year to remove $30 million worth of funding for Te Ahu o Te Reo Māori as acts of educational violence. These practices uphold white supremacist ideology, by sending the message that English is superior and te reo Māori is inferior. These are acts of racism, cultural suppression and are deliberate attempts to recolonise our education system. These acts cause immense harm. We call on the Ministry of Education and the Minister to immediately reverse this decision and reinstate the printing of the small reader versions of At the Marae. Our members would see the reversal of this decision as a reaffirmation of the Ministry's commitment to protecting and promoting te reo Māori as a taonga guaranteed under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
