Community Leaders Push for Indian Language Classes in Schools

Community leaders and educators in New Zealand are advocating for the inclusion of Indian languages such as Hindi, Punjabi, and Gujarati in public school curriculums. This push comes after the Indian population outpaced the Chinese community to become the country’s third-largest ethnic group, with the 2023 Census reporting 292,092 individuals of Indian descent. This figure marks a significant 22 percent increase since 2018.

According to data from Stats NZ, Hindi has emerged as the fourth most spoken language in the country, while Punjabi ranks ninth, recording the fastest growth rate of 45.1 percent between 2018 and 2023. Despite this increase in population and interest in Asian languages, opportunities to study these languages in public schools remain limited.

Community Initiatives and Challenges

Rohit Kumar, editor of the Hindi literary magazine Bharat-Darshan, highlighted the desire within the Indian community to preserve their heritage languages. He pointed out that while community-run language schools offer crucial learning opportunities, they often operate on weekends or after hours and rely heavily on volunteers. Kumar stated, “These schools play a vital role in keeping the languages alive, though access and quality can vary depending on location and resources.”

Former president of the New Zealand Indian Central Association, Narendra Bhana, noted a longstanding community language school at the Auckland Indian Association’s Mahatma Gandhi Centre, where approximately 100 children attend classes every Sunday to learn Gujarati and Hindi. Despite the demand, the school is constrained by a lack of financial support, which limits teacher availability and resources. Bhana emphasized the necessity for structured curricula and standardized teaching materials, particularly for Hindi.

Navtej Randhawa, a fourth-generation Indian New Zealander and former National Party candidate, echoed these sentiments, stating that the responsibility for teaching Indian languages has mainly fallen to community-led initiatives rather than being integrated into the mainstream education system. He called for meaningful investment and recognition of Indian languages in New Zealand’s educational framework.

Current Education Landscape

In Auckland, Papatoetoe North School offers two bilingual Hindi classes for students in Years 3 to 6. Principal Stan Tiatia remarked that the school’s demographics—approximately 50 percent Pasifika, 30 percent Indian or Fijian Indian, and 20 percent Māori—necessitate the inclusion of heritage language options. Tiatia noted, “The value of Hindi needs to be developed, given the rise in population of speakers,” yet acknowledged the absence of a structured curriculum for Hindi.

At Papatoetoe High School, principal Vaughan Couillault shared that Hindi classes were introduced over a decade ago in response to community demand. However, he explained that Hindi is only taught up to Year 10 because it is not an official subject for the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA). “We could offer it perhaps in Year 11 or Year 12, but students won’t take it because it doesn’t provide them with a qualification,” he said.

According to the latest data from the Education Ministry, Japanese remains the most popular Asian language in secondary schools, with 12,257 students enrolled, followed by Chinese with 5,415. Notably, no Indian languages are listed as NCEA subjects, highlighting a significant gap in the education system.

Juliet Kennedy, president of the New Zealand Association of Language Teachers, supports the inclusion of Indian languages in school curricula but recognizes bureaucratic hurdles. She pointed out that while Hindi may be prioritized, Punjabi and Gujarati also deserve consideration due to their prevalence among the Indian community.

Hayley Welch, acting general manager of the Te Poutāhū Curriculum Centre at the Education Ministry, clarified that learning a second language is not mandatory in New Zealand schools. However, she noted that all schools with students in Years 7 to 10 should strive to offer language learning opportunities. Welch stated that schools decide which languages to offer based on community interests and resources, with no centralized tracking of language instruction across the country.

The Ministry plans to release a draft of the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum, including an updated language-learning component, for feedback in the fourth term of this year, with implementation scheduled for 2027. Welch reassured that the Ministry is committed to representing New Zealand’s diversity in education and is open to dialogue with communities about enriching language offerings.

As the call for greater recognition of Indian languages in schools gains momentum, community leaders continue to stress the importance of systemic support to ensure these languages are preserved and valued in New Zealand’s multicultural landscape.