Some people were worried, however, that more and more people, especially the younger ones, used English rather than Maori when they talked about everyday things. This was mainly because English was almost the only language used on television and radio, and because more English is being spoken in households with young children. Some people were trying harder to speak Maori to their children and mokopuna; nearly half of the school age children surveyed understood Maori well, even if few of them spoke the language fluently. At the time of the survey, over half of the people in Te Kaha spoke Maori fluently, and more than two-thirds of them understood the language well.
Source: Read the full NZCER report here
Te Moana-ā-Toi | Bay of Plenty | Ōpōtiki | 1970-79 | 5% of Māori children can speak te reo. (1970-75) | Story is by tangata whenua
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