The University of Auckland has voted to make the compulsory paper covering the Treaty of Waitangi optional. Photo / 123 rf
The University of Auckland has voted to make the compulsory paper covering the Treaty of Waitangi optional. Photo / 123 rf
The University of Auckland has voted to make the compulsory paper covering the Treaty of Waitangi optional - against the wishes of over 400 university staff.
The university’s council voted to make the Waipapa Taumata Rau course optional yesterday afternoon. Seven members voted in favour, two voted against, and one abstained.
A letter signed by 426 university staffers called for the course to be retained for the next three years to provide “sufficient time for implementation”.
The five-page letter outlined the reasons why staff wanted the course to remain, and claimed there had been a lack of transparency in the review process of the course.
Act tertiary education spokeswoman Dr Parmjeet Parmar called it a “victory for student choice”.
“The compulsory nature of this course was always about pushing Treaty ideology on to students, with no regard for their interests.”
Act tertiary education spokeswoman Parmjeet Parmar called on the University of Auckland to scrap its compulsory Waipapa Taumata Rau. Photo / NZ National Party
Parmar has suggested that the 8000 students who took the course should be compensated.
The courses are designed to provide foundational skills and knowledge, including an understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi and other elements of te ao Māori (the Māori world).
The changes come after the course was taught for just one semester to all first-year students this year.
The University of Auckland told the Herald the decision followed “extensive feedback from students and staff about improving the delivery of the course and providing greater flexibility for students”.
The course remains compulsory for those studying accredited programmes or pathways to accredited programmes.
“While students have found the courses valuable, they have also indicated where improvements could be made and told us they would like greater flexibility in how WTR fits within their programme of study,” Freshwater wrote.
The senate’s suggestion was a U-turn from the university’s previous stance.
In March, a university spokesperson defended the courses, saying they were faculty-specific and relevant to the students’ studies.
“The WTR courses offer core knowledge and essential skills to help transition new students into university, helping them adjust to university life and setting them up for success in their future studies.”
The course content “will be relevant to wherever in the world they end up working”, the spokesperson said.
“In the Faculty of Business and Economics, WTRBUS 100 uses a Māori-owned business as a case study to demonstrate knowledge systems relevant to business.”
The Act Party posted memes using the Tui 'Yeah right' tagline about the course. Tui later hit back.
