Editorial: City College show leadership in te reo

Whanganui City College is introducing compulsory te reo Maori classes for year 9 students

While politicians forever argue the merits of compulsory te reo Māori in schools, Whanganui City College has just gone ahead and done it.

The school has announced all year 9 students will be taught our native language from next year in a move for which the school leadership should be commended.

The evidence for learning a second language purely for the educational benefits is well documented but there are so many more and important reasons in support of learning te reo Māori.

So much of Māori history, world view and the nuance of the culture is wrapped up its reo.
A te reo Māori class at City College will be so much more than a language class but a social studies class and a history class, too.

To know te reo Māori is to better understand New Zealand.

Concepts such as Te Awa Tupua (the legal personhood of the Whanganui River), or why correcting the spelling of Whanganui was so important, or the true history of the place we live become a lot clearer with an understanding of the language.

Everyone in this country speaks at least a bit of te reo even if by simply saying place names. Wouldn't it be great if we all understood what we are saying when we say it?

The time for compulsory te reo Māori is long overdue and the arguments against it more often than sound more like excuses.

In time it needs to be expanded to all schools and beyond just one year - but at least this is a start.

"We have all these opportunities to make changes for the betterment of our school and of the reo," board chair Mark Pirikahu said.

Leadership is required and Whanganui City College have just taken a huge step towards the front.