Lecture 21: Maori Language Education Flashcards
(45 cards)
What is ‘linguistic genocide’?
The process by which languages are lost due to suppression, often through formal education systems
What did Allan Bell (1991) say about language death in Aotearoa?
Languages are killed by other languages; te reo Māori faces potential “linguicide” by English
What was Māori fluency in te reo in 1900 vs 1960?
95% fluent in 1900; only 25% by 1960
What was Māori child fluency in 1953 vs 1975?
25% in 1953; 5% in 1975
What was the first Māori language book?
A Korao no New Zealand (1815) by Thomas Kendall
Who developed ‘The Grammar’ of Māori?
Samuel Lee, Thomas Kendall, and northern chiefs including Hongi Hika
What was ‘The Grammer’?
A more comprehensive, further rudimentary orthography of the Māori language
How did Māori react to early literacy?
They enthusiastically engaged in writing letters, newspapers, and manuscripts
Where and when was the first Mission school set up?
Rangihoua in the Bay of Islands in 1816
What were early mission schools like?
Taught in te reo, focused on Bible literacy and Christian conversion
sought to deliver Māori from their ‘wretched’ ways
What was the Education Ordinance 1847?
Introduced English-only state education and industrial training
How was the Education Ordinance 1847 an ‘assimilation policy’?
Schools were only paid if they taught their curriculum in English, Curriculum focused on religious instruction and providing industrial training to Māori students
Who introduced the Education Ordinance 1847?
Under Governor George Grey
When was the Native Schools Act put into place?
1867
What was the Native Schools Act 1867?
Replaced mission schools; aimed to assimilate Māori and disestablish tikanga
Use of Māori language is discouraged, english is still the only medium of instruction
What were Māori communities required to provide under the Native Schools system, and why was this significant?
They had to provide the land, half the building costs, and a quarter of the teacher’s salary—creating significant barriers to access.
When was the Native Schools Code implemented?
1880
What was the purpose of the Native Schools Code 1880?
To standardise how the Native Schools would operate
How were Native Schools ideally staffed under the 1880 Code?
By a husband-and-wife team—he as headmaster, and she teaching homemaking skills—meant to model the “European way of life.”
What was the language policy under the Native Schools Code 1880?
Junior classes were allowed to use te reo Māori, with the expectation that students would naturally shift to English as they grew older.
What was the main focus of Native Schools from 1867 to 1969?
They aimed to prepare Māori for low-paying, manual jobs rather than academic success.
What changes occurred in Native Schools in 1929?
They adopted the public school syllabus, but still emphasised English, arithmetic, geography, and European cultural values to make Māori into ‘good citizens.’
How was te reo Māori treated in Native Schools?
It was forbidden, and children were often punished—sometimes with corporal punishment—for speaking it, contributing to the sharp decline in language fluency.
What happened in 1972 regarding te reo Māori?
Ngā Tamatoa presented a 30,000-signature petition for Māori language in schools - The Māori language petition
