Level 2 Maori medium programmes with 51-80% Maori language instruction make an important contribution to developing Maori language skills and lifting Maori student achievement, yet these programmes are largely hidden from discussions about Maori education attainment. Offering lower levels of Maori immersion than kura kaupapa Maori and being…

Good school leadership skills are critical to positive student learning outcomes; however, within Maori-medium programmes, leaders need additional skills pertaining to the Maori world and bilingual education best practices. Level 2 Maori medium programmes with 51-80% Maori language instruction offer a unique brand of bilingual education to the New…

Maori medium education provides a range of options for families wishing to educate their children through the indigenous language of Aotearoa New Zealand. Level 2 programmes with 51-80% Maori language instruction, can play an important role in supporting students and their Maori language development, yet little is known about these programmes.…

Maori-bilingual education in New Zealand has come a long way towards injecting life into the Maori language. However, only a small number of families commit to bilingual education for the long term. This paper discusses why Maori parents either turn away from Maori-bilingual education or prematurely transition to English-medium schools. It then…

In New Zealand the recipe for creating bilingual and biliterate Maori-medium graduates is not well understood because, for the most part, schools are left to their own devices to experiment with Maori and English language components. It is therefore not clear whether graduates reach high levels of bilingualism and biliteracy, and ultimately,…

English language instruction in New Zealand's Maori-medium schools is controversial, with many schools either excluding it from their curriculum or adopting a tokenistic approach. Yet, how Maori-medium educators can best support their students' academic English language growth is still an under-researched and unresolved question. This paper…

This paper summarises the key issues and challenges that have emerged from a recent major report by the authors on Maori-medium education in Aotearoa/New Zealand. The discussion is situated within a wider international analysis of bilingual/immersion programmes, including heritage language programmes for indigenous peoples. Key issues explored…