Abstract
The attempts at Maori language revival started in the 1970s, at a stage when there were few children still growing up speaking the language. The most important innovation has been the development of pre-school language nests; several thousand children now come to elementary school after a pre-school programme taught entirely or mainly in Maori. There are some bilingual schools; a growing number of elementary schools with Maori immersion in the first one or two years; and some high school programmes. The paper describes a number of these schools, discusses the way that the bilingual programmes define and establish Maori space in the schools, mentions the issue of local and tribal concerns, and argues that there is the basis here for revitalisation of the language.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 89-106 |
| Number of pages | 18 |
| Journal | Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 2 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 1989 |
Bibliographical note
Funding Information:This study was made possible by a sabbatical leave from Bar-Ilan University. It was also supported in part by the New Zealand Department of Education. I am grateful to the Director-General (W. Renwick), the Deputy Director-General (J. Ross), the Director of Maori and Pacific Islands Education (W. Kaa), Dick Grace and Sonny Mikaere for help with arrangements and for the time that they and other senior officials spent with me. I would also like to pay tribute to the three liaison officers (Hapi Potae, Wally Penitito and Sonny Taare) who accompanied me on my visits, anticipated my needs, and introduced me to the people in the various schools; I attribute the warmth of my reception to the skill with which they handled these introductions. I am also most grateful to the principals, teachers, parents, inspectors, education officers and advisers who spoke to me freely and openly, and to the children whose normal school life was interrupted by my visits. For conversation and advice, I am grateful to Richard Benton (NZCER), Graeme Kennedy and Janet Holmes (Victoria University), Walter Hirsh (Race Relations Conciliator), Timoti S. Karetu (Maori Language Commissioner), J. Havill (DSI Hamilton), M. Steen (DSI Gisborne), A. Gluckman, J. Laughton, J. Pere and R. Pere. For comments and suggestions (not always followed) on draft versions of this paper, I am grateful to Graeme Kennedy, Hartmut Haberland and Tove Skutnabb-Kangas.
Funding
This study was made possible by a sabbatical leave from Bar-Ilan University. It was also supported in part by the New Zealand Department of Education. I am grateful to the Director-General (W. Renwick), the Deputy Director-General (J. Ross), the Director of Maori and Pacific Islands Education (W. Kaa), Dick Grace and Sonny Mikaere for help with arrangements and for the time that they and other senior officials spent with me. I would also like to pay tribute to the three liaison officers (Hapi Potae, Wally Penitito and Sonny Taare) who accompanied me on my visits, anticipated my needs, and introduced me to the people in the various schools; I attribute the warmth of my reception to the skill with which they handled these introductions. I am also most grateful to the principals, teachers, parents, inspectors, education officers and advisers who spoke to me freely and openly, and to the children whose normal school life was interrupted by my visits. For conversation and advice, I am grateful to Richard Benton (NZCER), Graeme Kennedy and Janet Holmes (Victoria University), Walter Hirsh (Race Relations Conciliator), Timoti S. Karetu (Maori Language Commissioner), J. Havill (DSI Hamilton), M. Steen (DSI Gisborne), A. Gluckman, J. Laughton, J. Pere and R. Pere. For comments and suggestions (not always followed) on draft versions of this paper, I am grateful to Graeme Kennedy, Hartmut Haberland and Tove Skutnabb-Kangas.
| Funders | Funder number |
|---|---|
| New Zealand Department of Education |