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The Government is creating a $30,000-a-year scholarship for people who speak Maori to retrain as teachers.
Maori Affairs Minister Parekura Horomia said that as well as paying course costs, the scholarship offered a $30,000 annual allowance to people from other careers to retrain in teaching.
"It aims to increase incentives for te reo speakers in other professions to make the switch into teaching," he said.
To be eligible, applicants would need to be fluent in Maori and have three years' work experience and a degree to receive the te reo Maori scholarship.
They would need six years' work experience to be eligible for a Maori medium scholarship.
Mr Horomia said existing scholarships offered a maximum allowance of $10,000, with some also covering course fees.
He said applications for the new scholarship would be available from next month, with the first recipients to study in 2008.
Recipients would be bonded to take up teaching following their training.
NZPA
