Edited by Craig Alan Volker and Fred E. Anderson
[IMPACT: Studies in Language, Culture and Society 35] 2015
► pp. 243–260
This chapter focuses on the positioning of the indigenous language of Aotearoa New Zealand, in schooling. The introduction of Western forms of schooling impacted negatively on te reo Māori (the Māori language). Now schooling is one of the major strategies in its regeneration. Recently the Treaty of Waitangi Tribunal released a chapter that highlights the downward trend in student numbers in Māori-medium education and questions the effectiveness of schooling as a major strategy of te reo Māori regeneration. A review was also carried out by the Minister of Māori Affairs, which recommends re-establishing te reo Māori in homes as the major focus of regeneration efforts. Both sets of findings and recommendations have significant implications for Māori-medium schooling.