Dr. Mere Skerrett

Mere is currently a Senior Lecturer in initial teacher education, Victoria University of Wellington. She is an enthusiastic supporter of the regeneration of te reo.  Her reflective practice has been around the mechanics of regeneration in Kōhanga Reo (language nests) and young children’s conceptual development relating to their indigeneity. 

This has been in line with her professional interests in bilingual/bicultural education and applied linguistics. She is also interested in equity issues as they relate to Māori as Tāngata Whenua (the people of the land), constitutional reform, women’s issues and children’s rights, and growing life at the interface between indigenes and colonial counterparts in counter-colonial contexts. 

Mere is an international Research Fellow under the leadership of Professor Gaile Cannella and has recently published in the area of early childhood education and issues of ‘quality’ education in the early years. She takes an active interest in the politics of Māori language policy in education and recently helped to bring fruition te Reo Rangatira policy for the tertiary sector. 

She sits as a Board member of the NZCER and the NZARE. She is also an Editorial Board Member for NZJES and JELPP.