Should New Zealanders know te reo Maori?

This is a difficult question to answer. Many people have already given theirs. Some think it’s totally unecessary since it’s become a “dead language” and some think it’s actually important for New Zealanders to know some of it and for the language to be carried on to every next generation.

So there is the discussion whether Maori should be compulsory at schools. Well should it? If so there should probably a good reason for that.

Learning a new language in general is not just about the language, it’s grammar and vocabulary. It always involves opening up your mind to a new wolrd, a new culture, a different way of thinking.

I think, for New Zealanders especially, this involves the culture and language of the Maori. They ‘share’ a continent, have a joint history, there are still Maori holidays like for example Waitangi Day and there are even many Maori words New Zealanders have adopted into their every day vocabulary.

So would it not only be interesting but also important for New Zealanders to know where it comes from and why they use it nowadays? I think it is. Even many Maori living in New Zealand today can’t speak their ancestors language, partly due to the crown who forbade Maori to use their language in school, partly also because of a lack of interest. It’s an official language in NZ people should lern and speak it. People in Finland have to learn swedish at school because it’s an official there and it’s really useful to them.

I say draw the young Kiwis interest to Maori language and culture by mandatory Maori classes for maybe two years or so, where they learn about their history, language and culture so they’ll have basic knowledge of it and later on they can choose if they want to continue studying it or not.