Te Ao Maori / Language

Lack of te reo teachers

13:22 pm on 13 September 2018

Listen

It's Te Wiki o te Reo Maori, a time to celebrate te reo and it's reviatlisation. But in the discussion about how to keep the language alive there is a problem - a lack of Māori language teachers. 

Many people who are fluent in te reo aren't choosing to train as teachers, so schools that offer it are having a hard time filling positions. 

There's a countrywide shortage and it's likely to get worse. 

Resource Teacher of Māori, Tiri Bailey, who works at Waitara East School in Taranaki, tells us more. 

Photo: RNZ / Tom Furley