A recent Stats NZ survey has found more than half of people are in favour of introducing te reo Māori as a core subject in primary schools.
It was the second time the General Social Survey asked Kiwis about their attitudes towards te reo Māori, after first beginning collecting data in 2016.
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Labour market and household statistics senior manager Jason Attewell said the 2018 results were indicative that New Zealanders attitudes towards te reo are positive.
"Te reo Māori is recognised as a taonga, or treasure, for all New Zealanders," he said. "The GSS survey shows about half of New Zealanders have positive attitudes to te reo Māori."
"Over half (53 percent) of New Zealanders said they strongly agreed or agreed 'Māori should be a core subject in primary schools'. "
Just less than half (49 percent) said the Government should support Māori in everyday situations, while 45 percent said signage should be in both Māori and English.
Thirty-five percent of respondents agreed that it would be good if New Zealanders spoke both Māori and English.
In the 2013 Census, 148,395 people said they spoke Māori, compared with 157,110 in 2006.
Newshub.