The education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa says the country's first university degree for teachers in Maori immersion schools is welcome acknowledgement of the importance and status of teaching te reo.

Te Aho Tatairangi has been launched by Massey University. It is a four year degree course which aims to supply 200 M?ori immersion graduates by 2020.

NZEI Matua Takawaenga Laures Park says the degree course and qualification recognises that teaching in kura kaupapa M?ori is a distinct area of skill and expertise.

"It broadens the options for people with an interest in M?ori immersion teaching by giving them an opportunity to gain a specialist qualification which they didn't have before".

Last year a Waitangi Tribunal report warned that te reo M?ori was reaching crisis point and urgent change was needed to save it from extinction.

"This is exactly the sort of concrete initiative that can make a real difference to keeping te reo alive and boosting the number of Maori immersion kaiako. It also recognises that having a teaching workforce with an in-depth knowledge of te reo and tikanga M?ori has a big impact on M?ori student motivation and success," says Laures Park.

She says the specialist degree course also supports the need to provide high quality teacher training at a time when the government is backing fast-track six week teacher training programmes for graduates.