Tēnā koutou: All Kiwi kids should be given the opportunity to learn Maori from an early age. That would be a sign of solidarity. I’ve heard all the arguments about why it’s wrong for Maori to be compulsory, but the reality is English is compulsory, as is maths, so why shouldn’t Maori be too? Maori is our indigenous language and an official language alongside English.

Being bilingual or multi-lingual has been proven to be advantageous. Children who speak more than one language are likely to perform better at school, be more socially adjusted both in and out of school, and be more tolerant and understanding of cultural differences.

In a global society, those are the attributes our children need and learning Maori will help them acquire them.

Māori or te reo Māori (pronounced [ˈmaːoɾi, te ˈɾeo ˈmaːoɾi]) commonly te reo ("the language"), is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand.