New Zealand‘s education system is changing significantly. There is a new focus on a structured literacy approach to teach five-year-olds how to read. This change, led by Education Minister Erica Stanford, involves using phonics and sounds to help children decode words. One major result of this approach is the decision to remove Māori words from some books in the “Ready to Read Phonics Plus” series. This series includes 78 books used in primary schools. The decision has sparked a passionate debate, with educators, academics, and authors expressing concerns about its potential impact on Māori identity and language revitalization. The changes specifically affect 12 new books in the series. Additionally, the decision was made not to reprint the small, take-home version of a popular early reader book, “At the Marae,” because it contains six Māori words.
The ministry argues that these words could be difficult for young children to decode. However, the book will still be available in a larger format for teachers to read aloud in class. The education ministry stated that while new books will not include Māori words (except for names), some existing titles will still have them. The reasons for these changes, as detailed in a report from the education ministry to the minister, suggest that using different spelling systems at the same time could confuse children learning to read English. The report indicated that such an arrangement might make it harder for them to master English phonetics during those crucial early years of schooling. However, the report also noted that the evidence for this idea was “mixed” and “uncertain.”
In handwritten notes on the report, the minister affirmed her commitment to investing in Māori language books and emphasized that language revitalization is “so important.” She highlighted that Māori language schools and teachers prefer to keep English out of their decodable Māori books, arguing that it makes sense to maintain a single language in early decodable texts. The ministry has ensured that all words in these early readers, including English words, are “tightly controlled” to make them fully decodable for students. This decision has faced strong criticism from various groups. Critics argue that the choice undermines the Indigenous language’s status and underestimates children’s ability to learn both English and Māori.
Dr. Awanui Te Huia, an associate professor at Victoria University of Wellington, said this decision is harmful to cultural identity and shows a lack of confidence in children’s ability to understand a few simple words. She noted that many Māori children attend mainstream schools because of long waitlists at Māori-immersion preschools and schools. She described the decision as a further limitation on the few opportunities Māori children have to see their language and culture thrive, questioning the evidence behind the policy. The Māori principals association, Te Akatea, released a statement expressing its outrage and disappointment. They described the decision as a “direct attack” on their language and culture. They argued that books like “At the Marae” are essential for exposing the approximately 97% of Māori children in English-medium schools, as well as many non-Māori children, to the language.
The association condemned these actions as “racism,” “cultural suppression,” and “deliberate attempts to recolonise our education system.” While Education Minister Erica Stanford has denied that her policy targets the language, the education ministry stated that it “firmly rejects claims” that the decision is racially motivated and insists it is “grounded in evidence.” The ministry also pointed out that, for the first time, it has supplied a complete set of Māori decodable books to all schools. The current government’s actions, which include reducing Māori language use in public services and reversing policies aimed at improving Māori health and well-being, have been labeled a “concerning pattern” by Principals’ Federation president Leanne Otene. She suggested that it seems New Zealand is “deliberately going backwards,” and that children notice their government treating the Māori language as less important. Dr. Te Huia warned that New Zealand’s reputation as a “global leader” in language revitalization is at risk because of what she calls “government push back” on the language. The government asserts its commitment to improving outcomes for all New Zealanders and claims its proposals aim to end “race-based” policies.
