Ngā Manu Kōrero is a speech competition for secondary students that encourages fluency in
te reo Māori and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
.
History
The contest began in 1965 as the Korimako Speech Contest. Sir
Bernard Fergusson
Brigadier Bernard Edward Fergusson, Baron Ballantrae, (6 May 1911 – 28 November 1980) was a British Army officer and military historian. He became the last British-born Governor-General of New Zealand.
Early life and family
Fergusson was the ...
donated a trophy to encourage greater English fluency in Māori students. School and regional competitions were organised by the
Post Primary Teachers' Association
The New Zealand Post-Primary Teachers' Association Incorporated (PPTA) is a trade union in New Zealand and professional association. It represents about 20,000 teachers employed in state and integrated secondary schools, area schools, technology ...
and Māori Education Foundation (now Māori Education Trust) with a national final in August 1965.
[Rāwiri Tinirau and Annemarie Gillies]
'Ngā Manu Kōrero: Revitalizing Communication, Customs and Cultural Competencies Amongst Māori Students, Teachers, Whānau and Communities'
''Educational Perspectives'', Volume 45, Numbers 1 and 2, pages 47-81
In 1977, the Pei Te Hurinui Jones Contest was added for senior Māori oratory.
Three years later, a junior English section was introduced, with a taonga for the section provided by Ngāti Kahungunu ki Te Tairoa in memory of Sir Turi Carroll, and three years after that, the junior Māori oratory section, Rāwhiti Īhaka, was added.
In 1987, after considerable growth in the competition, it was renamed 'Ngā Whakataetae mō Ngā Manu Kōrero o Ngā Kura Tuarua', generally shortened to Ngā Manu Kōrero.
In 2020, the competition was cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In 2021, it was moved online.
Divisions
The competition has four divisions:
Pei Te Hurinui Jones Contest
Named in honour of Dr
Pei Te Hurinui Jones
Pei Te Hurinui Jones (9 September 1898 – 7 May 1976) was a Māori people, Māori political leader, writer, genealogist, and historian. He identified with the Ngāti Maniapoto iwi. As a leader of the Tainui confederation of iwi and of the ...
, a Waikato elder and scholar who died in 1976,
this section is for Senior students and consists of two speeches in te reo Māori, one prepared and the other impromptu.
Te Rāwhiti Ihaka Contest
Named in honour of Rāwhiti Ihaka, a skilled orator and teacher at St Stephens School, this section is for Junior students and consists of one prepared speech in te reo Māori.
Korimako Contest
The Korimako Contest is for Senior* students and consists of two speeches in English, one prepared and the other impromptu.
Sir Turi Carroll Contest
Named in honour of Sir
Turi Carroll
Sir Alfred Thomas "Turi" Carroll (24 August 1890 – 11 November 1975) was a New Zealand tribal leader, farmer and local politician. Of Māori descent, he identified with the Ngāti Kahungunu iwi and was a nephew of Sir James Carroll.
He was ...
, Ngāti Kahungunu leader and orator, this section is for Junior* students and consists of a prepared speech in English.
* = The speakers in both English sections must be of Māori Descent
References
Māori language
{{Maori-stub