Te Toka Tūroa

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. 

In 2019, Te Ahu o te Reo Māori was piloted in four regions including Te Taiuru (Taranaki Whanganui), Tainui (Waikato), Ngāi Tahu (Te Waipounamu) and Te Tonga (Bulls to Wellington).

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 (parents and caregivers) participation is also permitted.

Register by: 

• Contact your kāhui coordinator or email info@kauwaka.co.nz.

There are no attendance or registration fees, this initiative is fully funded by the Ministry of Education. You will however need to cover travel costs to attend the course. Catering and learning resources will be provided.

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 Ltd. has crafted and developed a unique and successful  programme named Te Toka Tūroa, designed purposely by Kauwaka for teachers across all  education sectors from Early Childhood to Secondary Education as part of 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.

LEVEL 1 Beginner - very little to basic communication skills & working knowledge upon completion graduate;

• Knows basic greetings/ terms of address and can differentiate between Kia ora and Tēnā koe

• Understand and correctly use “Kei te pēhea koe?” and basic responses to that question

• Can identify five classroom objects in te reo Māori at random

• Confidently understands and can use 5 basic commands in the classroom:

LEVEL 2 Advanced Beginner – In addition to levels 1 upon completion graduate;

• Can open and close the class with appropriate mihi and short introduction/closing

• Can say a short welcome to a child/learner

• Can understand and participate in mihimihi (including understanding and using pepeha)

• Can engage in a short and basic conversation using the following phrases/questions and responses – “kia ora” “tēnā koe” “ko wai tō ingoa?” “nō hea koe?” “kei te pēhea koe?”

LEVEL 3 Intermediate - In addition to levels 1-2 upon completion graduate;

• Can confidently use simple instructional language in the classroom: go over there, give that to me, stop doing that, etc

• Can conduct games in te reo Māori

• Can pose and respond to questions in te reo Māori: where is James, what are you doing, how was your day, etc

LEVEL 4 Advanced Intermediate - In addition to levels 1-3 upon completion graduate;

• Can operate in an immersion environment including follow the instructions and respond to basic questions

• Can have a conversation using the questions and answers that commonly feature in the early stage of an encounter

LEVEL 5-6 high proficiency / near native / fluent - In addition to levels 1-4  upon completion graduate;

• Can manage regular learning activities in te reo Māori

• Can give detailed instructions to the class in te reo Māori

• Can give explanations of learning content in te reo Māori

• Can engage in discussion, exchange and inquiry with the class in te reo Māori

• Can maintain sustained immersion interaction with learners

The initiative aims to support early learning to secondary school leaders, kaiako and support staff  to grow their capability and confidence in using and integrating te reo Māori into the learning of  all ākonga. Participants will have the opportunity to engage and understand a different worldview;  engage in cultural practices, narratives, and histories relevant to Aotearoa and to the system that  supports the education of all students. 

Based on a seven level te reo Māori competency framework called Ngā Taumata o Te Ahu o te Reo  Māori, the five focus areas are: 

• Local dialect – local words, phrases, karakia, waiata and sayings 

• Use – Practise of reo use appropriate for a classroom setting 

• Grammar – foundations of grammar and writing conventions 

• Curriculum – development of learning content for regular activity 

• Revitalisation – language planning for the school/ early learning services/ classroom.

Registrations will remain open until delivery begins or places have been filled.

There is no provision for teacher release days in this programme. However, the Ministry of Education has made available a Participant Support Fund of $500.00 per participant per cohort. Providers will be responsible for administering this funding directly to schools/kura and early learning providers as a contribution towards the release of the participants.

At this time, there is no qualification or tohu associated with Te Ahu o te Reo Māori. However, the Ministry alongside NZQA will be investigating the potential of micro-credentials for graduates.

You will need approval from your Principal/Tumuaki or delegated authoriser from your kura, school, wharekura, early learning service or Kōhanga Reo. Please provide their contact details when registering via our online registration form.

Te Toka Tūroa will be providing programmes for the following levels:

• LEVELS 1-2 Beginner — very little to basic communication skills / working knowledge

• LEVELS 3-4 Advanced Beginner — good to very good command / good working knowledge

• LEVELS 5-6 Intermediate — excellent command / high proficiency / near native / fluent

No, in order to get the most out of the programme we need you to be 100% committed and focused and therefore we suggest that you register at a time when this is possible. It is also problematic for the facilitators if the attendance of participants is irregular.

Te Toka Tūroa is fortunate to draw on the expertise of key te reo Māori champions and educators including Dr. Jeremy Tātere MacLeod & Dr. Sir Tīmoti Kāretu. The programme is being delivered by Kauwaka Ltd.

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.

You can find our very talented team here.

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