Te Huarahi Māori is the Māori teaching degree programme the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland. Graduates, students, lecturers and support staff both past and present gathered to celebrate the 21st anniversary of this programme.
It's the 21st year celebration for the teaching degree programme, Te Huarahi Māori.
Te Huarahi Coordinator, Hemi Dale, says, "This is an opportunity for them to network and take part in workshops that look at teaching practices in the classroom, analyse strategies that promote te reo Māori in the classroom and recent studies related to teaching through the medium of te reo Māori."
Hemi Dale says this teaching degree programme at Auckland University was developed to produce teachers for Māori language immersion schools, Māori language schools, and bilingual schools.
Blanche Saua (Ngāti Whātua, Niue) says, "It's a path where I can have an impact on youth and children as well as speaking Māori every day, our goal is to teach in te reo Māori immersion schools."
Te Huarahi Māori began in 1997 and since then, nearly 1000 students have graduated from this programme.
Dale says, "Most of them have gone to our Māori language schools, some have gone into other schools, some overseas, many have gone into broadcasting, health and work developing our iwi."
Hemi Dale says it's a day to celebrate what has been achieved and a time to look forward at what lies ahead.