What has changed in the curriculum?<\/p>\n
In 2024, education minister Erica Stanford announced she was implementing a \u201cstructured literacy approach\u201d to reading, which teaches children to read by using sounds and phonics to understand words.<\/p>\n
Part of that change has resulted in a decision to cut M\u0101ori<\/a> words \u2013 except for characters\u2019 names \u2013 from any new books in the education ministry\u2019s Ready to Read Phonics Plus series \u2013 a series of 78 books provided to primary schools.<\/p>\n The move affects 12 new books, and has resulted in the decision not to reprint the small take-home-version of At the Marae, a well-known early reader book that teaches children about visiting traditional M\u0101ori meeting grounds.<\/p>\n The book will instead be printed in full-size format for teachers to read aloud in class because it contains six M\u0101ori words \u2013 some of which could be hard for children to decode, the education ministry told the Guardian.<\/p>\n The ministry also said while its new books in its early reader series will not contain M\u0101ori words, except for names, some existing titles will retain M\u0101ori words.<\/p>\n What is the rationale for scrapping M\u0101ori words?<\/p>\n The decision to remove the M\u0101ori words was driven by concern that incorporating M\u0101ori words into English texts could be confusing for children learning to read English, according to an education ministry report to Stanford in October.<\/p>\n \u201cIntroducing different orthographies simultaneously could lead to confusion for learners, making it more difficult for them to master English phonetics within these crucial early years of school,\u201d the report noted in its advice.<\/p>\n However, it went on to say the evidence of this was \u201cmixed\u201d and \u201cuncertain\u201d.<\/p>\n In hand-written notes on the report, the minister said the government had made \u201ca real commitment\u201d to invest in M\u0101ori language books and that \u201clanguage revitalisation is so important\u201d.<\/p>\n She said M\u0101ori language schools and teachers had told her they did not want English language in the M\u0101ori language \u201cdecodable\u201d books \u2013 texts designed for children to practise decoding sounds and letters \u2013 and it would be \u201cconsistent to keep to one language only\u201d in the very early decodable books.<\/p>\n The ministry said \u201call words, including English words, in these early readers are very tightly controlled to make sure they are decodable for students\u201d.<\/p>\n Why have the changes sparked criticism?<\/p>\n Principals, academics and authors have criticised the decision, saying it undermines the place of the Indigenous language and children\u2019s ability to learn both English and M\u0101ori.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not only harmful from a cultural identity perspective, but it also gives very little faith in our children that they can grasp these very few, simple words,\u201d said Dr Awanui Te Huia, associate professor at Victoria University of Wellington\u2019s M\u0101ori studies department, Te Kawa a M\u0101ui.<\/p>\n Te Huia said M\u0101ori children face barriers attending M\u0101ori-immersion preschools and schools due to lengthy waitlists, so most end up going into mainstream education.<\/p>\n \u201cThe very limited opportunities that they have to see the language, to see themselves thrive, is being further reduced by advice that I don\u2019t see as being evidence based,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The minister\u2019s argument that M\u0101ori experts did not want English in their text and therefore, M\u0101ori should be limited in English texts, was drawing a false equivalence between the status of the two languages, Te Huia said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe need to create some boundaries around how much English \u2013 the dominant language \u2013 is put into that very limited space where you\u2019re exposed to [M\u0101ori] language.\u201d<\/p>\n In a statement, the M\u0101ori principals association, Te Akatea, said it was outraged and disappointed at the decision to not reprint the small versions of At the Marae.<\/p>\n \u201cThis decision is a direct attack on our language, a dismissal of our culture, and an assault on our identity as M\u0101ori,\u2019 it said, adding that books like At the Marae expose the 97% of M\u0101ori children in English-medium schools, and many non-M\u0101ori to the language.<\/p>\n \u201cThese are acts of racism, cultural suppression and are deliberate attempts to recolonise our education system.\u201d<\/p>\n Stanford declined the Guardian\u2019s request for comment but in interviews with other media<\/a> has rejected any claims her policy is an attack on the language.<\/p>\n The education ministry told the Guardian it \u201cfirmly rejects claims made by some commentators that this decision is about race\u201d and the decision was \u201cgrounded in evidence\u201d. The ministry said it had also, for the first time, offered all schools a complete set of M\u0101ori decodable books.<\/p>\n Since taking office, the coalition government has minimised M\u0101ori language<\/a> use in the public service and ushered in sweeping rollbacks<\/a> to policies designed to improve M\u0101ori health and wellbeing.<\/p>\n The rationale behind many of the government\u2019s proposals is to end \u201crace-based\u201d policies and the coalition has said it is committed to improving outcomes for M\u0101ori and all New Zealanders.<\/p>\n But Te Huia says New Zealand\u2019s position as a \u201cglobal leader\u201d in language revitalisation was at stake, and \u201cgovernment push back\u201d on the language had resulted in its stagnation.<\/p>\n Principals\u2019 Federation president Leanne Otene told RNZ it felt like New Zealand \u201cwas deliberately going backwards\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not just one book, it\u2019s part of a concerning pattern of removing te reo M\u0101ori [M\u0101ori language] from government services across the board,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cOur children are growing up watching their government treat te reo M\u0101ori as less important.\u201d<\/p>\n Quick GuideContact us about this storyShow The best public interest journalism relies on first-hand accounts from people in the know.<\/p>\n If you have something to share on this subject, you can contact us confidentially using the following methods.<\/p>\n Secure Messaging in the Guardian app<\/p>\n The Guardian app has a tool to send tips about stories. Messages are end to end encrypted and concealed within the routine activity that every Guardian mobile app performs. This prevents an observer from knowing that you are communicating with us at all, let alone what is being said.<\/p>\n If you don’t already have the Guardian app, download it (iOS<\/a>\/Android<\/a>) and go to the menu. Select \u2018Secure Messaging\u2019. <\/p>\n SecureDrop, instant messengers, email, telephone and post<\/p>\n If you can safely use the Tor network without being observed or monitored, you can send messages and documents to the Guardian via our SecureDrop platform<\/a>.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/1757873238_588_4000.jpg\")
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