3 Oct 2014

Commission happy more speaking te reo

7:50 am on 3 October 2014

The Māori Language Commission says recently released statistics about te reo shows that kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa are working to revitalise the language.

Data released by Statistics New Zealand as part of the first-ever national survey on Māori well-being, Te Kupenga, shows half of Māori who have been enrolled in kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa can speak te reo well or very well.

It also shows that people with children in the home were twice as likely to speak Te Reo.

The Māori Language Commission chief executive, Glenis Philip-Barbara, said the data supports the importance of immersion education.

Ms Philip-Barbara said it is great to see the fruits of their labours being recognised and understood, and the statistics around kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa are music to her ears.

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