Learning another tongue should be compulsory in New Zealand schools if languages are to stop being the "poor cousin" within the education system, an academic says.

Many of Auckland's volcanic cones, including those at the Domain and Mt Smart, have gained official Maori names under a Treaty of Waitangi settlement.

The chief executive of the KiwiYo company says he is deeply sorry that a Whangarei teenager quit her job after she was told not to greet customers with a traditional "kia ora".

A Whangarei teenager has quit her first job after being ticked off for welcoming customers into a city centre store with the words "kia ora" instead of saying "hello".

Periodically we're subject to collective hysterias, led by the media in unison with relevant bureaucrats, single-issue lobbyists and politicians.

The Maori Language Commission says that it has approached TVNZ, TV3 and the MetService about using the Maori word for "tomorrow" in future weather broadcasts.

Te reo has paved the way for careers in journalism for two sets of Kiwi siblings who work on opposing Maori news shows.

Mac and Ron are on a linguistic and historic mission to right Maori spelling and pronunciation howlers in West Auckland.

Nikau remains the most popular name for Maori boys born last year while Aria takes the top spot for girls from Maia.

Only 4 per cent of non-Maori secondary school students are learning te reo Maori, the latest figures show.

A new bill that will change how te reo Maori is safeguarded will have its first reading in Parliament today.

Today, Pita Sharples will carry out the first reading of the new Maori Language Bill 2014 in Parliament.

Ten years ago, Pita Sharples - now Minister of Maori Affairs - said he wanted to see an end to mangled te reo words used in Parliament and in mainstream media broadcasts.

The curriculum in New Zealand schools is "compulsory" and nobody minds - until it is suggested that all New Zealand children should be given a grounding in te reo Maori.

As the election date nears, politicians are working harder than ever to demonstrate to us why they don't deserve our respect, writes Paul Little.

All New Zealand schoolchildren would learn Maori under Labour's long-term plan for te reo, but it appears the party is loath to give the policy a high profile.

Tracing my whakapapa or family tree is something I'm looking forward to and there are some awesome people who are going to help me do it.

The New Zealand Maori Council is seeking an urgent Waitangi Tribunal hearing to stop a proposed legislation.

Kohanga reo teacher Ann Makea is adding a new service to her preschool offering - financial literacy for the children's parents.

The founder of the kohanga reo movement, Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi, has spoken of a "sense of shame" over allegations of misspending of public money.

The future of Maori broadcasting has become caught up in pre-election coalition politicking.

When a worthy public project is not having its desired result, the first instinct of bureaucrats is to rearrange its deck chairs.

The percentage of Maori fluent in te reo fell by almost 5 per cent between 2006 and 2013, Census figures show, but Maori Television insists it is fulfilling its core purpose of boosting the revitalisation of the language.