Hindi teaching curriculum proposed
An interim institution will be set up in New Zealand to look at the development of Hindi curriculum document for the teaching of the language in mainstream schools.
This was one of the key proposals to come out of a day-long work-shop held in Auckland on Saturday to celebrate Hindi Diwas.
The workshop at Papatoetoe High School was organised by the Hindi Language and Culture Trust of New Zealand and attracted several dignitaries, MPs and community leaders, including Opposition Leader Phil Goff, Act leader Don Brash, Labour MP Dr Rajen Prasad, National MPs Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi and Dr Jackie Blue, Green MP Keith Locke, and NZ First’s Winston Peters.
Trust president Satya Prasad said their aim was to facilitate the development of a curriculum document to progress the teaching of Hindi in New Zealand schools.
“We have chosen a very timely and fitting theme for the celebrations ‘Hindi Hamari Pahechaan (Hindi), Hindi Language, Our Culture, Our Identity (English)’,” Dutt said in his address to the delegates.
“There are approximately 104,000 people in New Zealand of Indian origin and they have come from various parts of the world.
“They have lived here for decades and many more to come. Hindi is the second largest spoken language in the universe. Millions of people of Indian descent in Mauritius, Trinidad, Ghana, South Africa can’t speak or understand Hindi.
“They lost their language. We must not anticipate having similar communities in New Zealand,” Dutt said.
“Due to absence of formal Hindi curriculum and opportunities in the schooling system numerous community based institutions teach Hindi language and culture on their own initiatives, namely Wellington Hindi School, Shivacharan Sunday Hindi and Cultural School, Vishwa Shanti Hindi and Language School; Pooja Cultural and Hindi School, New Zealand School of Hindi Language & Culture, West Auckland Arya Samaj School, Waitekere Hindi School, Swami Narayan Temple Cultural Group, Papatoetoe Hindi School and Bhartiya Samaj Baal Vikas.
“They teach for a couple of hours to five hours on weekly basis. It is worthwhile to note their commendable effort and achievement. I am also aware of the fact that many parents provide tuition for their own children at homes.”
Dutt said this happened because schools didn’t offer teaching of Hindi language.
“The big question is: why schools don’t offer Hindi?
“The answer is within us. We don’t ask our schools to facilitate teaching of Hindi language. In accordance to New Zealand Curriculum Framework and Education Policies schools may teach any language. Pasifika languages such as Tongan, Samoan, Cook Island Maori, Maori, Tokelaun etc and other foreign languages such as Spanish, German etc have curriculum document and being offered in schools and are fully recognised by New Zealand Qualifications Authority.”
Dutt praised the principal of Papatoetoe High School, Peter Gall and Board of Trustees for their initiative to offer Hindi to Year 9 and 10 students.
“It is the first school in New Zealand to offer Hindi. Further it must be noted that seven non speakers of Hindi are taking this subject. Peter reiterated this morning during the Official Opening of the workshop that learning second language enhances the academic performance of students. He travelled globally and discovered that numerous countries are offering second language to students. The school has approximately 450 students of Indian origin. Now the time has come for us to make the call. We can never blame our parents and ancestors as they in extreme conditions provided us with knowledge and skills in preserving our language.
“Our Trust’s mission is to facilitate the development of Hindi curriculum document to make provisions of teaching Hindi in New Zealand schools.
“The celebration’s core focus is to make an impact and to make awareness among our communities for the importance of our language. The orators and the performers of the items are here to showcase their knowledge, skills and abilities. The evening’s programme is accommodating mainly the children.
“Earlier in the day we had a workshop in 10 different sessions conducted by facilitators with tremendous experience from different walks of life and from all over New Zealand which were attended by sixty three participants.
“The workshop concluded with symposium and panel discussion. Numerous deliberations and recommendations were made. The symposium proposed to form an interim institution to look at development of Hindi curriculum document. The workshop unanimously decided to have a weeklong celebration next year. Concurrently sports and fun games were organised for young and adults. Eighty people participated in the sports.”
The workshop unanimously decided to have a weeklong celebration next year. Concurrently sports and fun games were organised for young and adults. Eighty people participated in the sports.
Among dignitaries attending: The Chief Guest, Hon Phil, Leader of the Opposition Party; Dr Don Brash, Leader of the ACT Party; Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of the New Zealand First Party; Dr Rajendra Prasad, MP, Labour Party; Kanwalsingh Bakshi, MP National Party, Keith Locke, MP Green Party, Dr Jackie Blue, MP National Party; Sunny Kaushal, Labour Candidate for Pakuranga, Asanati Taylor, Pacific Communities Leader, Shailen Metha, GOPIO; Pt Sunil Sharma, President, Shri Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi Sabha of NZ; Mavis Singh, President, Sanatan Naari Sabha of NZ; Shiu Charan, President of New Zealand Association of Fiji Teachers; Rosa Kaulani, President of Bilingual Leo Pasifika Coalition; Sunita Narayan, Teacher and co-ordinator of Wellington Hindi School; Representatives and performers from Shivacharan Hindi and Language School; Vishwa Shanti Hindi and Language School; Pooja Cultural and Hindi Group; NZ School of Hindi Language & Culture; West Auckland Arya Samaj School; Waitekere Hindi School, Swami Narayan Temple Cultural Group; Papatoetoe Hindi School, Papatoetoe Intermediate School, Shree Sanatan Dharam Purohit Maha Sabha NZ Inc.
An interim institution will be set up in New Zealand to look at the development of Hindi curriculum document for the teaching of the language in mainstream schools. This was one of the key proposals to come out of a day-long work-shop held in Auckland on Saturday to celebrate Hindi Diwas. The...
An interim institution will be set up in New Zealand to look at the development of Hindi curriculum document for the teaching of the language in mainstream schools.
This was one of the key proposals to come out of a day-long work-shop held in Auckland on Saturday to celebrate Hindi Diwas.
The workshop at Papatoetoe High School was organised by the Hindi Language and Culture Trust of New Zealand and attracted several dignitaries, MPs and community leaders, including Opposition Leader Phil Goff, Act leader Don Brash, Labour MP Dr Rajen Prasad, National MPs Kanwaljit Singh Bakshi and Dr Jackie Blue, Green MP Keith Locke, and NZ First’s Winston Peters.
Trust president Satya Prasad said their aim was to facilitate the development of a curriculum document to progress the teaching of Hindi in New Zealand schools.
“We have chosen a very timely and fitting theme for the celebrations ‘Hindi Hamari Pahechaan (Hindi), Hindi Language, Our Culture, Our Identity (English)’,” Dutt said in his address to the delegates.
“There are approximately 104,000 people in New Zealand of Indian origin and they have come from various parts of the world.
“They have lived here for decades and many more to come. Hindi is the second largest spoken language in the universe. Millions of people of Indian descent in Mauritius, Trinidad, Ghana, South Africa can’t speak or understand Hindi.
“They lost their language. We must not anticipate having similar communities in New Zealand,” Dutt said.
“Due to absence of formal Hindi curriculum and opportunities in the schooling system numerous community based institutions teach Hindi language and culture on their own initiatives, namely Wellington Hindi School, Shivacharan Sunday Hindi and Cultural School, Vishwa Shanti Hindi and Language School; Pooja Cultural and Hindi School, New Zealand School of Hindi Language & Culture, West Auckland Arya Samaj School, Waitekere Hindi School, Swami Narayan Temple Cultural Group, Papatoetoe Hindi School and Bhartiya Samaj Baal Vikas.
“They teach for a couple of hours to five hours on weekly basis. It is worthwhile to note their commendable effort and achievement. I am also aware of the fact that many parents provide tuition for their own children at homes.”
Dutt said this happened because schools didn’t offer teaching of Hindi language.
“The big question is: why schools don’t offer Hindi?
“The answer is within us. We don’t ask our schools to facilitate teaching of Hindi language. In accordance to New Zealand Curriculum Framework and Education Policies schools may teach any language. Pasifika languages such as Tongan, Samoan, Cook Island Maori, Maori, Tokelaun etc and other foreign languages such as Spanish, German etc have curriculum document and being offered in schools and are fully recognised by New Zealand Qualifications Authority.”
Dutt praised the principal of Papatoetoe High School, Peter Gall and Board of Trustees for their initiative to offer Hindi to Year 9 and 10 students.
“It is the first school in New Zealand to offer Hindi. Further it must be noted that seven non speakers of Hindi are taking this subject. Peter reiterated this morning during the Official Opening of the workshop that learning second language enhances the academic performance of students. He travelled globally and discovered that numerous countries are offering second language to students. The school has approximately 450 students of Indian origin. Now the time has come for us to make the call. We can never blame our parents and ancestors as they in extreme conditions provided us with knowledge and skills in preserving our language.
“Our Trust’s mission is to facilitate the development of Hindi curriculum document to make provisions of teaching Hindi in New Zealand schools.
“The celebration’s core focus is to make an impact and to make awareness among our communities for the importance of our language. The orators and the performers of the items are here to showcase their knowledge, skills and abilities. The evening’s programme is accommodating mainly the children.
“Earlier in the day we had a workshop in 10 different sessions conducted by facilitators with tremendous experience from different walks of life and from all over New Zealand which were attended by sixty three participants.
“The workshop concluded with symposium and panel discussion. Numerous deliberations and recommendations were made. The symposium proposed to form an interim institution to look at development of Hindi curriculum document. The workshop unanimously decided to have a weeklong celebration next year. Concurrently sports and fun games were organised for young and adults. Eighty people participated in the sports.”
The workshop unanimously decided to have a weeklong celebration next year. Concurrently sports and fun games were organised for young and adults. Eighty people participated in the sports.
Among dignitaries attending: The Chief Guest, Hon Phil, Leader of the Opposition Party; Dr Don Brash, Leader of the ACT Party; Rt Hon Winston Peters, Leader of the New Zealand First Party; Dr Rajendra Prasad, MP, Labour Party; Kanwalsingh Bakshi, MP National Party, Keith Locke, MP Green Party, Dr Jackie Blue, MP National Party; Sunny Kaushal, Labour Candidate for Pakuranga, Asanati Taylor, Pacific Communities Leader, Shailen Metha, GOPIO; Pt Sunil Sharma, President, Shri Sanatan Dharam Pratinidhi Sabha of NZ; Mavis Singh, President, Sanatan Naari Sabha of NZ; Shiu Charan, President of New Zealand Association of Fiji Teachers; Rosa Kaulani, President of Bilingual Leo Pasifika Coalition; Sunita Narayan, Teacher and co-ordinator of Wellington Hindi School; Representatives and performers from Shivacharan Hindi and Language School; Vishwa Shanti Hindi and Language School; Pooja Cultural and Hindi Group; NZ School of Hindi Language & Culture; West Auckland Arya Samaj School; Waitekere Hindi School, Swami Narayan Temple Cultural Group; Papatoetoe Hindi School, Papatoetoe Intermediate School, Shree Sanatan Dharam Purohit Maha Sabha NZ Inc.
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