Te Pāti Māori warns Govt of ‘million Māori’ wrath over $30m cut to Te Ahu o te reo Māori programme

• Flat Bush Primary principal Banapa Avatea and the union representing teachers are “extremely disappointed” by the $30 million cut to the Te Ahu o te Reo Māori programme.
• Post Primary Teachers’ Association president Chris Abercrombie called the cut “short-sighted” and disputed claims the programme lacked impact.
• Labour’s associate education spokeswoman Willow-Jean Prime said cutting resources for te reo Māori undermines its value in education.

Te Pāti Māori is warning the Government of the “wrath of the million Māori” after a $30 million cut to a programme for teachers to learn te reo Māori.

It follows a South Auckland principal teacher’s union slamming the Government’s decision to cut funding to a programme for teachers to learn te reo Māori, saying staff are “extremely disappointed” and the move is “short-sighted”.

Earlier today, Education Minister Erica Stanford said the Te Ahu o te Reo Māori initiative “isn’t accredited” and the money would be better spent supercharging the maths curriculum.

Minister of Education Erica Stanford said maths was a priority.

Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi branded the decision as the “latest in an onslaught of attacks on te iwi Māori”, citing other Government policies including the Treaty Principles Bill, the repeal of the oil and gas ban, scrapping the Māori Health Authority and the Oranga Tamariki reforms.

Co-leader Debbie Ngarewa-Packer warned her party would support protest movements in any way it could.

“Te iwi Māori, tangata Tiriti, and tangata Moana are all preparing to activate because we all believe in a Tiriti-centric Aotearoa that values the protection of our mokopuna, our whenua, and our taiao.”

In May, protesters descended on Parliament as part of a nationwide day of action, as the coalition Government prepared to unveil its first Budget that afternoon.

A campaign group named Toitū Te Tiriti (Honour the Treaty) held a strike to “demonstrate a unified Aotearoa response to the Government’s assault on tangata whenua [Māori people] and Te Tiriti of Waitangi”.

In December, Te Pāti Māori protests brought peak-hour traffic to a standstill as thousands turned out to protest against Government policies labelled “anti-Māori”.

Te Pāti Māori co-leaders Rawiri Waititi (left) and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer are warning the Government of protest action. Photo / Marty Melville

Flat Bush Primary principal Banapa Avatea said his staff were “extremely disappointed” by today’s announcement.

He said his school had been using the programme since 2021 and he now has teachers who speak immersive Māori.

Avatea said he did not understand where Stanford got her statistics from that showed there was no evidence the programme had any impact as it had “wide-reaching benefits” at Flat Bush Primary.

“What it’s enabled at our school is for us to be able to increase for many of our staff, the confidence and delivery of te reo Māori and increase knowledge of tikanga Māori.”

He said the programme was not on the list of “accredited” professional learning development programmes but said there was nothing on the list that was similar to Te Ahu o te Reo Māori.

“If there was, we would love to know about it.”

He said he was unsure of what capacity Te Ahu o te Reo Māori would operate at with the $30m cut.

Post Primary Teachers’ Association president Chris Abercrombie called the cut “extremely disappointing, concerning and short-sighted”.

“The programme had a very good uptake among teachers and helped them meet the Teaching Council expectations around te reo Māori skills.”

Post Primary Teachers’ Association president Chris Abercrombie said this highlighted the Government’s “narrow educational focus”.

He also disputed Stanford’s claims that the programme was not helping progress within the students.

“This programme was very new and over time I’m sure it would have made a positive difference in classrooms around the motu.”

Abercrombie said this highlighted the Government’s “narrow educational focus”.

“It comes down to the point of education.

“Is it about producing robots who can read, write and do maths equations or is it about helping children and young people to flourish and grow, with a range of knowledge and skills, who are truly comfortable in their own skins and able to thrive in the world?”

New Zealand Educational Institute president Mark Potter said the union fought “for years” to have this programme and the cuts were a “mistake”.

“The programme has helped both Māori and Pākehā kaiako and ākonga flourish in the reo and understanding of tikanga and te ao Māori.”

Labour’s associate education spokeswoman Willow-Jean Prime said Stanford and the Minister for Māori Development “can’t keep claiming they value te reo Māori while cutting resources that support both our teachers and students to learn it”.

“Numeracy is important, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of diminishing te reo Māori.

“Stanford, as a graduate in Māori studies, should know better.”

Rachel Maher is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. She has worked for the Herald since 2022.

Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.