Te Kōhanga Reo National Trust Co-Chair Lorraine Hale has welcomed Te Pāti Māori’s proposed investment in kōhanga reo, saying a dedicated Act would fulfil a long-held aspiration and help secure the movement’s future.
Speaking on behalf of herself and fellow Co-Chair Raniera Proctor, Hale said the proposed legislation would be a significant step towards settling the Trust’s Wai 2336 claim. She is also challenging other political parties to outline their commitments to the movement.
“Te Pāti Māori have made a clear commitment to Kōhanga Reo, and in doing so a commitment to reo, to mokopuna, to whānau and a brighter future. The question for the other parties is what does commitment look like from them to Kōhanga Reo.”
Announced in Rotorua on October 6 by Te Pāti Māori Co-leader Rawiri Waititi and Hauraki-Waikato MP Hana-Rāwhiti Maipi-Clarke, the policy proposes a Te Kōhanga Reo Act and secure annual baseline funding.
It also includes a $20 million annual capital fund for kōhanga reo buildings, alongside $50 million to address a backlog of around 80 kōhanga needing new buildings or refurbishment. The party has also pledged to fund 20 new kōhanga over three years. Waititi said the proposals would give Māori-medium education certainty to plan and grow.
“Kōhanga reo and kura Māori are the heartbeat of te reo Māori revitalisation,” he said. “They need secure, long-term investment that reflects what they mean to our tamariki, our whānau and the future of Aotearoa.”
Hale, of Ngāti Awa, is known across the kōhanga movement as Whaea Lolo and represents Mataatua and Tauranga Moana on the Trust Board. She said a Kōhanga Reo Act should enshrine the movement’s philosophy, Te Korowai and Ngā Pou e Whā, while enabling regulations and licensing designed around its kaupapa.
“It would enable the Trust as kaitiaki of the kaupapa real agency to advocate for the growing needs and elevate solutions.”
Alongside legislative recognition, Hale identified access and staffing as pressing challenges.
“We have hundreds of mokopuna around the motu on waitlists trying to get into Kōhanga Reo; matching that appetite with great kaiako in Kōhanga Reo is a pressing challenge.”
She said secure annual funding would need to support the remaining 25 per cent of kōhanga yet to move into pay parity, as well as ongoing professional development for kaimahi and learning support for mokopuna.
“As we continue to grow, now 9,200 mokopuna, we need assurances that growth is being planned for and funding is being tagged for growth.”
On buildings, Hale said the Trust currently receives an annual property grant of $8.3 million to support property needs across 427 kōhanga reo. That funding did not stretch far enough, she said. The proposed $50 million would address remediation work already identified in the Trust’s property programme, while the $20 million annual capital fund would support longer-term improvements to kōhanga facilities.
“The $20 million annual would allow us to transform our Kōhanga Reo into fit-for-purpose facilities that our whānau will flock to, spaces that our mokopuna deserve and mokopuna can thrive.”
Hale said the scale of the proposed investment was consistent with demand and recommendations in the Wai 2336 report, Matua Rautia. The location of new kōhanga should be guided by community need, Māori population data, future growth trends and the capacity to establish and operate them, she said.
Hale is critical of the current government’s response to proposals the Trust has put forward.
“This government has shown little material support for Kōhanga Reo. I can rattle off 10 kaupapa we have taken to the government that would greatly support Kōhanga Reo, and we got little to nothing new.”
The wider Te Pāti Māori policy also proposes $1.25 billion over five years for kura Māori property, including $250 million annually for upgrades and growth. The party would also restore Te Ahu o Te Reo Māori with $30 million a year to strengthen reo capability across the education workforce.
Hale and Proctor are calling for cross-party commitments and a plan across government to grow kaupapa Māori education, giving kōhanga certainty beyond individual election cycles.
“We are not just education; we are Kōhanga Reo, an intergenerational, whānau-led movement of the people, that is the front door of reo revitalisation, of cultural reclamation and transformational experiences.”
Nā Piripi Taylor nō Pūkāea
