Banning teachers from using the terms - Whaea and Matua

Published: March 9, 2021, 11:15 p.m.

A Hawke's Bay school is facing criticism for banning Māori teachers from using the te reo terms - Whaea and Matua.  According to TVNZ, those teachers claim the principal said those names were unprofessional.  When they were given an ultimatum to either be called Mr or Mrs so-and-so, or leave the school.... they chose the latter.  Now, the school says it takes its "responsibilities around local tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori, and te ao Māori very seriously", and is looking at what other schools do. Myles Ferris, the president of Te Akatea -- the Māori Principals Federation -- speaks to Māni Dunlop.