Summarised by Centrist
Sir Ian Taylor, founder of Animation Research Ltd, says claims that Education Minister Erica Stanford is racist for removing Te Reo Māori from early reading materials are unfounded and misleading.
Taylor said he initially reacted with “dismay” to the reports, given his past experience with Stanford as open-minded and culturally aware. But after digging deeper, Taylor found the books in question were not general readers but specialised “coding books.” These are designed to teach one language at a time, he explained, much like French or Japanese coding books abroad.
“Blending them too early risks undermining the decoding process in both languages,” Taylor quoted from ChatGPT. He said this aligns with the advice from Māori academics working on Te Reo coding resources, which are reportedly in development and will be written entirely in Māori.
Taylor urged critics like Labour MP Willow-Jean Prime to focus on producing Māori-language coding books, rather than attacking the Minister. “That’s not racist, that’s science,” he said.
He concluded by calling for a multilingual future where students can switch fluently between languages, supported by dedicated resources for each.
Image: New Zealand Government, Office of the Governor-General
