Government moves to restrict te reo Māori words in early-reader books
The recent decision by New Zealand's Ministry of Education to restrict te reo Māori words in early-reader books, limiting them largely to character names, has sparked a huge national outcry, and rightly so. While the policy is framed as supporting literacy development, many educators, Māori leaders and language advocates view it as a step backwards for equity and inclusion and strongly oppose this move.
As Professor Margaret Mutu (University of Auckland, Māori Studies) points out, “Children are particularly capable of obtaining a number of different languages up to the age of six… To deny them this exposure at the age of five is not only stupid, it’s very dangerous.”
Dr Awanui Te Huia (Associate Professor, Victoria University of Wellington) asserts that the removal is not grounded in evidence, “The very limited opportunities that they have to see the language … is being further reduced by advice that I don’t see as being evidence based.” She also highlights the value of translanguaging – fluidly moving between languages – as a powerful and proven approach to bilingual education.
From an equity, inclusion and diversity (EID) perspective, this issue is about more than language – it speaks to identity, belonging, and the right of children to grow up in an environment where cultural heritage is affirmed rather than erased. Efforts to normalise te reo Māori in classrooms have been decades in the making. Limiting children’s exposure risks undermining the progress which has been made and sends a worrying message about whose language, and by extension whose culture, is valued.
We know that inclusive education is not simply about outcomes, it is about creating learning environments where all cultures are visible, validated, and celebrated. The revitalisation of te reo Māori is central to a more equitable Aotearoa. Ensuring its presence in the earliest stages of learning is not just good pedagogy, it is a commitment to fairness and inclusion for future generations.
