Tihei: Te Ahu o te Reo Māori - the future pathway of te reo Māori

Te Toka Tūroa graduates in December 2021 at Te Ara o Tāwhaki Marae, Te Ūranga Waka EIT. Photo / Supplied

The Ministry of Education has partnered with te reo Māori providers who are knowledgeable in language learning and teaching, are proficient in reo ā-iwi (local dialects) and are dedicated to the revitalisation of our indigenous language. Kauwaka Limited is one of these providers who will be delivering Te Ahu o te Reo Māori across Te Matau a Māui and Tairāwhiti regions. The name of the programme is Te Toka Tūroa.

What is Te Ahu o Te Reo?

Te Ahu o te Reo Māori is a Government initiative to improve all levels of Māori language ability across the education workforce including teachers, managers and support staff in all kōhanga reo, early childhood centres, kura, wharekura and schools.

Te Ahu o Te Reo Māori is funded by Te Tāhuhu o Te Mātauranga (Ministry of Education) to develop competency in te reo Māori (specifically pronunciation and use of te reo Māori), tikanga Māori and improved understanding of local stories. This is a key opportunity to embed localised history into the NZ Curriculum.

Te Ahu o te Reo Māori means the future pathway of te reo Māori – a pathway that seeks to inspire and aspire for improved te reo Māori proficiency, acquisition and use across the education sector. It also provides opportunities for te reo Māori to be normalised, and Māori identity and culture to be shared and embraced (Ministry of Education, 2022)

What is Te Toka Tūroa?

The ministry requires each provider to have in place an effective model to deliver Te Ahu o te Reo Māori. To meet this requirement, Kauwaka Limited has crafted and developed a unique and successful programme named Te Toka Tūroa, designed purposely by Kauwaka for teachers across all education sectors as part of the National Delivery of Te Ahu o te Reo Māori.

The name Te Toka Tūroa was given by language doyen Dr Sir Tīmoti Kāretu. It likens the language to a rock that stands for time immemorial.

Te Toka Tūroa has developed a curriculum outline that aligns specifically to the learning outcomes and success indicators across the different levels of Ngā Taumata o Te Ahu o te Reo Māori.

This programme has been developed by a team of recognised language and cultural exponents.

The team has worked hard to develop a tailored programme that meets the needs of teachers and support staff. The course caters for all levels of language proficiency from levels 1 (beginner) to 6 (high proficiency).

Te Toka Tūroa is fortunate to draw on the expertise of key te reo Māori champions and educators including Dr Jeremy Tātere MacLeod and Sir Tīmoti Kāretu. The programme is being delivered by Kauwaka Limited. This is in addition to a wider team of kaiako, historians and key leaders within the education workforce that we have engaged to support delivery.

Below is a testimonial from one of our local principals participating in Te Toka Tūroa.

"Ki taku whakaaro ko te kaupapa o Te Toka Tūroa, he tino whakahirahira ki ngā kaiako o Te Matau-a-Māui. Kahungunu reo, Kahungunu waiata, Kahungunu mōteatea, Kahungunu haka, Kahungunu whakapapa, Kāhungunu kīwaha, Kahungunu mātauranga - ka nui te koa o te ngākau ki te kite i te puāwaitanga o ā mātou kaiako."— Maurice Rehu, Principal, Irongate School

Registrations are open to:

• All teachers from early learning services through to secondary school

• All kaiako, from kōhanga reo through to wharekura

• Non-teaching and support staff in kura, schools, wharekura, early learning services and kōhanga reo

• Whānau participation (parents and caregivers) is also permitted.

We are currently taking registrations for Terms 1 and 2 in 2022. Please head to the website kauwaka.co.nz to register. Registrations for Terms 3 and 4 will be available in Term 1 2022.

For all general enquiries regarding Te Toka Tūroa email info@kauwaka.co.nz