Petition request

That the House of Representatives urge the Government to include Hindi as a language option for NCEA and ensure that resources are available for teaching it at primary, intermediate, and secondary schools.

Petition reason

The Indian population is the third largest ethnic group and Hindi is the fourth most spoken language in New Zealand. 292,092 people in New Zealand identified as Indian in the 2023 Census. I believe it is important for Indian-New Zealand children and other interested New Zealand students to have the option to study Hindi, an official language of India, for cultural connectedness. India is 5th in the world’s GDP rankings and this may also benefit New Zealand economically.

Petition progress

  • Open for signatures
  • Closed for signatures
  • Select Committee
  • Reported
  • Referred to Minister
Number of signatures: 26
Date presented: 26 Mar 2026
Considered by: Education and Workforce
Presenting member: Hon Priyanca Radhakrishnan
Closing date: 31 Jan 2026