Whakaritea te parekereke: Teacher Preparedness to Teach te reo Maori Speaking Children in Mainstream Education Settings

It is essential that teachers are prepared to teach te reo Maori speaking children so that Maori tamariki enjoy equal and equitable opportunities to succeed as Maori (Education & Training Act, 2020). This article draws on research undertaken for my master's degree which investigated teacher preparedness to teach te reo Maori speaking children in mainstream primary schools. Key findings included an awareness of how language and culture impact on identity and educational outcomes. Although participants acknowledged the absolute necessity that te reo Maori and tikanga Maori are included in all aspects of the education setting, they also reported that tikanga Maori is a more comfortable space to be in than te reo Maori as there were clear connections to their own values. Four key themes emerged from the findings which I promote in this paper as key factors for teacher readiness to teach reo Maori speaking children. These are: Kia rite (be prepared), Kia hono (be connected); Kia tatatiako (be culturally competent and responsive) and, Kia whakauruuru (be integrative). This article discusses the four factors listed above and implications for tamariki, their whanau, teachers and Initial Teacher Education (ITE) providers.