More than 1000 schools have reaffirmed their commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi despite legislative changes. Photo / Getty Images
By Layla Bailey-McDowell of RNZ
More than 1000 schools have now publicly reaffirmed they will continue giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, despite the Government removing Treaty obligations from the Education and Training Act.
As of November 21, 1007 schools have been added to Te Rārangi Rangatira, a growing list of public commitments made by boards, kura and principals’ associations across the motu.
Lawyer Tania Waikato, who is collating the statements and publicly sharing the list, said the surge of support from kura sends a clear message.
“Everything this Government is doing to try to remove Te Tiriti from that conversation is being resisted.”
She said the response shows a “grassroots backlash” to the change.
“It’s totally organic. It’s not being led by any particular person or movement. It is a wonderful expression of kotahitanga.”
Waikato compared the outpouring of statements to Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti, the nationwide movement opposing the Treaty Principles Bill and policies impacting Māori.
“This is the hīkoi for the schools. It gives that same feeling of unity and community,” she said.
She said schools are rejecting claims Aotearoa is divided over Treaty issues.
“The Government, and the Act Party in particular, have tried their darndest to convince everybody that we’re divided... but the truth is actually quite different.
“The vast majority of people want to get on with the business of what they’re doing – teaching the children and ensuring that they have a good education system to do that in.”
Waikato said the letters arriving daily from boards and principals shows how much it means for them to uphold Te Tiriti.
“One of the most amazing things about being in my shoes at the moment is that I get to see all of the amazing letters that have been written,” she said.
“Each one of them is uniquely expressing what Te Tiriti means to them within their communities, all of the hard work that they’ve done with the relevant mana whenua… They are fiercely proud of all of that mahi.”
She said the kura recognise the benefits and they understand how that translates into better educational outcomes.
Waikato said schools repeatedly describe Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a “founding constitutional document”.
“They’re grounding their teaching frameworks in the bedrock of our country. We are not America. We are not an overseas jurisdiction that doesn’t have a history. We came to be a country because of Te Tiriti,” she said.
“To ignore that is to ignore part of the framework that makes Aotearoa what it is.”
She said schools view the removal of Treaty obligations as a step that “undermines equity and clarity” for whānau.
“The Government is doing that very purposefully because they do not want the place of Māori within the Treaty partnership to be recognised,” she said.
“What the schools are saying is: too bad. We’re going to continue anyway.”
Associate Education Minister David Seymour earlier posted to social media in response to schools’ statements, and said the Government had not banned schools from teaching about Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
“I have some disappointing news for them. They’re not rebelling against the evil Government because Parliament hasn’t banned them from teaching about the Treaty.”
He said boards are still required to “take reasonable steps to ensure that the policies and practices for the school reflect New Zealand’s cultural diversity”.
Seymour also criticised what he described as an “intolerant, bullying tone” from schools.
“If someone has different priorities from them, that’s okay. What happened to live and let live?”
He said the Government’s only demand, through Act’s coalition commitments, is that “academic attainment becomes the paramount goal of a school board”.
He also said that it “seems to be less than 200, mostly small, schools” had signed on at the time.
Waikato said the comments by the minister are “out of touch”.
“Some of the schools that are actually on the list already are some of the largest schools in the country,” she said.
“I find it very offensive that he thinks the size of the school means that it doesn’t really matter… For me, all of that just highlights that the minister is out of touch with what our schools are going through, and very out of touch with what the concerns of parents like myself want to see.”
The Auckland Primary Principals’ Association, representing 428 principals and kura, is among the rōpū issuing formal statements to the Education Minister opposing the legislative change.
“Te Tiriti is not an optional extra. It is our foundation constitutional document,” it said.
“Removing the obligation weakens accountability, risks inconsistency across the motu, and gives schools that are reluctant to engage an excuse to step away from commitments that should be universal.”
The association said principals across Tāmaki Makaurau are “united in their concern”, noting schools have spent years building relationships and local curricula grounded in partnership.
“This work has been deliberate, hard-won and essential to improving outcomes for Māori learners and ultimately for all ākonga.”
It called on the minister to reverse the recent legislative change and reinstate the Te Tiriti o Waitangi obligation for school boards within the Education and Training Act.
“Voluntary commitments alone cannot guarantee equity. Legislation matters. It sets expectations, protects progress, and ensures every board in Aotearoa New Zealand holds the same responsibility to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi.”
Waikato said the association’s message hits at the heart of why schools are speaking out.
“Legislation matters,” she said.
“It sets expectations for what schools must do, and what parents and children can expect. As soon as you remove a legislative requirement, it removes that expectation.”
She also rejected suggestions that commitments to Te Tiriti detract from academic achievement.
“It’s not an either-or,” she said.
“Educators beg to differ, and they’re the ones who should know.”
RNZ has approached the Education Minister Erica Stanford for comment.
In an email to the sector this week, Stanford said the Government’s “No 1 priority is educational achievement” and parents and volunteers on school boards should not be responsible for “legally giving effect to the Treaty”.
She said the Crown “remains accountable for its Treaty commitments” and boards will instead be required to focus on equitable outcomes for Māori students, access to te reo Māori and policies that reflect cultural diversity.
“As minister, I am committed to lifting educational achievement for every student in our education system,” she said.
“I also strongly believe it is the Crown’s responsibility to meet its Treaty obligations by supporting Māori educational success. We’re raising Māori achievement, which is a core tenet of our Treaty obligation.”
– RNZ