An increasing emphasis on Niue culture is expected to be a key element of that country's ten year strategic plan for education.
Over the next two weeks education authorities in Niue will be seeking public input into the new proposals.
The Director of Education,Tiva Togatule says Niue has been increasingly aligning its curriculum with that of New Zealand's, which is what people want, but they also want to ensure Niuean language and culture is incorporated.
Ms Togatule says since 1989 cultural aspects have been included but only to intermediate level.
She hopes now to lift the status of the language within the formal education system.
"We are now waiting for someone from New Zealand to come and help us to transfer those into curriculum for year 11 two thousand and five. Now that in itself lifts the status of the Niuean language on a par with all the conventional subjects at school and that's a step forward for us."
The Director of Education,Tiva Togatule
