A programme intended to help educational professionals, including teachers, learn Te Reo Māori has been expanded to allow another 10,000 people to sign up.
Te Ahu o Te Reo Māori is part of a mission to normalise the use of te reo in the classroom, says Associate Education Minister Kelvin Davis.
"Whānau, parents, their tamariki and the wider community have made it clear that they want Te Reo Māori to be a part of their education experience and Te Ahu o te Reo Māori will help us to achieve this," he says.
Around 1000 people graduated the programme after it was trialled last year, Davis says.
Up to 10,000 people including teachers, leaders and support staff around the country are now invited to sign up to this year's course.
Davis says they're planning to keep improving the programme so around 40,000 people can learn over the next four years.
"This is about reinforcing our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, empowering our workforce and, most importantly, giving our young people a chance to learn their reo and better supporting them to succeed in education as Māori," he says.
"I encourage all teaching and support staff from early learning, kōhanga reo through to secondary school and wharekura to get in quickly if they want to secure a place in the 2021 intake."
Around $108 million was set aside in this year's budget to expand the programme over the next four years.
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