"It starts with pronouncing names correctly," she told them.
"It's one of the most common things I hear [from] focus groups with Maori and Pasifika kids."
Mr Hodgkinson said all teachers at his school, for pupils in Years 1 to 8, were expected to practise any names they struggled with.
"It's not only an issue with Maori names or Samoan names, but names that are spelt funny or differently," the principal said.
"It certainly is an issue that we address and continue to address at Lakeview ... because every child's worth ... is lessened if a teacher can't pronounce their names properly."
PPTA president Robin Duff said many in the crowd were stunned by Ms Parata's reference to names, which came about halfway through her speech.
"It wasn't too bad up until then.
"Those who reacted ... were actually more alarmed by what they considered to be ... increasing evidence of the inability of the minister to be in touch with reality," he said.
Mr Duff, principal of Burnside High in Christchurch, said teachers often went the extra mile to ensure names were pronounced properly.
Mentors co-ordinate with student-teachers in their first year of work to help with the pronunciation of pupils names.
"Most commonly schools today [also] have an elder or kaumatua ... who is able to specialise in that area.
"It's pretty basic teaching that if you're going to work with a student and you want the best from them [that] an inability to pronounce their name ... repeatedly is hardly conducive to a good learning environment," Mr Duff said.
The Maori Language Commission says the mispronunciation of names often has a long-lasting effect on people.
"We've had many comments and stories from people of all ages about the impact of mispronunciation of their names in schools and in a wider context," said chief executive Glenis Philip-Barbara.
"So, I was very pleased to hear Minister Parata raising this as an issue."
