Matific helps to incorporate Te Reo Māori in New Zealand Schools

Matific, the game-based maths learning resource, will assist New Zealand to incorporate the Te Reo Māori language into their maths curriculum via a translation of its online program.

Māori today accounts for almost 15% of the population in New Zealand, but the language has remained a minority language for over 130 years.

Matific will assist in normalising the use of Te Reo Māori in the classroom and encourage both Māori and non-Māori students to learn, speak and engage with the language; more widely at home, within the neighbourhood and wider community. 

The Te Reo version has been translated by Hēmi Kelly a well-regarded Lecturer from Auckland University of Technology who sits within the Faculty of Māori and Indigenous Development.

Hēmi says, "The Māori translation of Matific has been an informative and humbling journey. This resource will allow students in Māori medium education the opportunity to engage in a tool to develop in mathematics and prepare them for their future and a future in STEM.  My hope is that the Matific translation will be a prototype, which will lead to the Māori translation of other interactive resources that can be used in our kura. As a lecturer of the reo and an active member in te reo Māori revitalisation, I see this as a gateway to continue the revitalisation of the language and culture in the education system."

Matific matches the pedagogical shifts that most education departments are encouraging from their teachers and paves the way for children to engage in critical thinking.

Matific’s new translation of its program showcases an innovative and scalable way of how teaching and learning Te Reo could be achievable in all New Zealand schools. The company hope this will help to empower more students in an all-inclusive setting, including of course Māori students, to pursue STEM careers.

Charlene Macrae, Country Manager for Matific New Zealand says, “We are now providing opportunities of a future-focused learning environment, which is already available to mainstream schools.  Our program in Te Reo now means that Te Reo Māori learners are included.”

“STEM education is essential to New Zealand’s future prosperity. At Matific, we want to provide students with the tools they need to instil a love for maths and acknowledge the mana of Māori culture and values from a young age.”

“The translation of the Matific program to Te Reo is more than just to revitalise the Māori language. We want to take responsible steps towards providing engaging mathematical content for the Te Reo Māori learning community.”

Matific recently held its annual Matific Games; students from TKKM O Te Ara Rima, New Zealand, beat hundreds of thousands of other students across Australia and New Zealand, coming first place. The Matific Games is based around participation by students and teachers using the Matific education resource. During the competition, students answered over 10 million questions in just under two weeks.