We now see and hear more te reo than ever in all facets of life. Photo / George Novak
OPINION:
There is a noticeable shift taking place across Aotearoa.
Kiwi of all backgrounds, ethnicities and locations are embracing te reo Māori (the Māori language) and concepts and values derived from te ao Māori (the Māori world).
We now see and hear more te reo than ever in all facets of life – on television, in schools, in communities, in organisations and amenities. More and more Kiwi are embracing our indigenous language.
The Ministry of Education has developed a new curriculum subject focused entirely on our combined histories.
Aotearoa New Zealand Histories curriculum will commence in 2023.
What does this mean for students who attend schools in Aotearoa?
All children from Years 1 to 10 will be required to learn about our histories (national, regional and iwi) from next year. This is a significant leap forward for our country and education system.
Many Kiwi will admit that our collective knowledge of our own stories is shallow, that most studied histories of foreign countries, leaders and individuals.
But with the implementation of this new curriculum, our tamariki (children) and young professionals will have an expanded understanding Māori language and cultural practices that will become organic in their everyday lives.
Experts say that whānau (family) is a driving force for many of the adult learners on the Education Perfect Te Ao Māori courses, noting that their children's learning has both challenged and inspired them to delve a bit deeper into te ao Māori.
This has come to fruition as learning new phrases or waiata (songs), finding new ways to celebrate occasions such as Matariki and even researching a little more into their own family histories.
This can also be a way to turn screen time into a positive family experience.
Te Ao Māori is for everyone and can be used as an interactive, family challenge:
"Correct answers gets off doing the dishes" or "Best pronunciation of place names doesn't have to take out the bins".
There are many possibilities for keeping te reo Māori fun and engaging.
Aotearoa New Zealand Histories supports the Ministry of Education's commitment to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Our EP platform allows for the 50,000 daily users to customise their own localised learning material.
Local providers and tribal experts have the ability to rework existing lessons or create new lessons specific to their region and people. Local hapū and marae are utilising this feature and using EP as a vehicle to upskill and connect with tribal members; while businesses are customising the Professionals course to include company values, onboarding instructions, karakia and waiata.
Education Perfect is supporting the uplift of general knowledge and capability of Kiwi in this essential part of our nation's identity, and provides learning material and support mechanisms that assist schools, community groups and organisations alike to step into te ao Māori in a safe and mana enhancing way.
Te Rau Winterburn is head of Māori Initiatives at Education Perfect.
Tens of thousands are expected to march on Parliament.