The Union of Kanak and Exploited Workers is welcoming the New Caledonian government's decision to teach kanak languages in primary schools.
A leader of USTKE, Pierre Chauvat, says they have been campaigning for almost 25 years for this.
The territory's 35,000 primary school pupils have until now had the same curriculum and books as children in metropolitan France.
The government is now waiting on the territorial congress to approve a series of new school books which have taken 200 experts three years to prepare.
Mr Chauvat says he hopes a great variety of kanak languages will be taught.
"We'll have to introduce more Kanak languages to be learnt so people can choose between a big variety, you know. There are more than 30 official languages so that everybody can learn the language he wants to learn."
The executive member of USTKE, Pierre Chauvat.