14 Sep 2012

Warning against compulsory Te Reo in schools

8:17 am on 14 September 2012

An academic who specialises in reviving indigenous languages believes making Te Reo compulsory in schools would be counterproductive.

Ghil'ad Zuckermann, chair of linguistics and endangered languages at the University of Adelaide, is visiting this country.

He says the responsibility for there to be more people fluent in Maori rests equally between home and school.

Professor Zuckermann says the study of Te Reo should be optional in all schools, because if it was made compulsory people could resent it and the aim of increasing the language would backfire.

He says he's very impressed with the promotion of Te Reo in Aotearoa-New Zealand.