Transitioning from Maori-Medium to English-Medium Education: Emerging Findings of a Pilot Study

Maori-bilingual education in New Zealand has come a long way towards injecting life into the Maori language. However, only a small number of families commit to bilingual education for the long term. This paper discusses why Maori parents either turn away from Maori-bilingual education or prematurely transition to English-medium schools. It then reports the findings of an ethnographic pilot study of a Maori-bilingual graduate who transitioned to an English-medium secondary school after more than eight years attending Maori-bilingual programmes. The student's transition was very successful, both in terms of acquiring high levels of academic language proficiency and necessary cultural knowledge. However, it was highly reliant on the support and interventions her parents provided throughout her schooling--particularly regarding both English and Maori languages. This article focuses on the student's first year of transition and, in particular, the language and cultural issues that her family had to navigate to ensure her success.