NEW ZEALAND

Universities struggle to cater for Maori demand
Auckland universities are facing a te reo Maori teacher shortage as free language classes soar in popularity. While there are a lot of proficient Maori speakers, finding the right people to teach it was proving to be a struggle, writes Adam Jacobson for Stuff.Unitec Institute of Technology's Kura Po co-ordinator Tuatahi Pene said the demand for its te reo Maori classes had caught the institute "off guard". Kura Po, Unitec's free 10-week evening course which teaches the language from beginner to advanced levels, has had enrolments increase from 1,200 to 1,500 over the past three years.
Meanwhile, Auckland University of Technology's free Maori language papers had risen by about 180 students over the past year.
Full report on the Stuff site