Formed in 2013 to support COMET Auckland's Mātauranga Māori focus, the Tāmaki Makaurau Education Forum (TMEF) brings industry experts and community leaders from kōhanga to tertiary level together to synchronise the direction of Te Reo, its place in education and how we can collectively develop a dynamic approach to support strong language strategies.
Becoming educated through the medium of two languages adds value to the education process. Family languages link people to their ancestors, and binds generations together, strengthening social cohesion.
Only 62% of tamariki are leaving early childhood education with an exposure to an education in Te Reo.
Today, only 23% of Māori speak Te Reo fluently, with the majority speaking no to very little Reo.
The TMEF is the first step toward developing a Māori language strategy that will:
- Work through a collective approach to develop strategy and evaluate what is/isn't working in our communities
- Go into schools and establish/improve Māori language programmes
- Develop an inclusive programme so every child in school has a genuine opportunity to learn Te Reo
- Find opinion leaders in small community groups to champion Māori language education.
