Provision of Māori language services

• The ability of people to develop their Māori language skills depends in part on opportunities to access te reo. The HML 2006 Survey gathered information on Māori-medium radio and television, which shows that access rates and listening rates are high. Nearly all Māori adults have access to Māori radio and television.
• Fifteen percent of Māori adults are learning te reo to some degree. This is a high percentage, and reflects the positive disposition Māori have towards the language.
• There are around 1,600 Māori children attending te reo based early childhood services.
• Schools in these regions provide for around 4,000 Māori children learning in te reo to some degree. This is 25% of the Māori student population.

There is a high level of take-up of Māori language services among the people of Te Tairāwhiti/ Tākitimu Over the next five years, it will be important to ensure that these services are targeted towards, and tailored for, the interests and circumstances of local iwi. There are particular opportunities to promote the use of tribal dialects through these services: this will require service providers to continue to build relationships with tribal authorities in these regions.