The Government Removing Te Reo Māori from School Children’s Books w/ the University of Auckland’s Margaret Mutu: 18 August, 2025

Following on from our chat with Simon Court, Thursday Wire Host, Caeden, spoke to Margaret Mutu - a Māori Studies Professor at the University of Auckland, who has a PhD in linguistics, about Education Minister, Erica Stanford’s announcement, that the early-reading book At the Marae from the Ready to Read Phonics Plus series, will be canned.

The ministry told RNZ that At the Marae, unlike other books in the series, the book uses six kupu Māori, could result in challenges for young learners.

However, Officials have advised the ministry that there was “limited” research regarding the effect kupu Māori had in early-reading books.

Caeden spoke to Mutu about this, and the positives of raising tamariki with both English and te reo Māori.