Like many others, I was captured by the news of the 42,ooo people who marched to parliament on Tuesday this week to show their opposition to the Principles of the Treaty of Waitangi Bill that passed its first hearing in Parliament earlier this month, paving the way for public submissions to be received and considered ahead of the second reading of the bill early next year.
I have to confess to having travelled out of Wellington to work with a school in the Hawkes Bay on Tuesday, so didn’t have the opportunity to attend the rally – but am proud of two of my daughters and one of my grand daughters who did. They’ve spoken with me about their pride in being able to participate in such a large-scale, historic event, of feeling safe amid such a crowd, and about the sense of the significance of what was occurring around and before them. Above all they were impressed by the sense of calm among the crowd – the sense of unity and purpose was palpable it seems.
For me, the occasion has brought to the surface again the question around ‘how do we engage meaningfully‘ in conversations that affect our future like this? That’s the motivation for writing this blog – there’s been so much written already by other, more learned people than I about the significance of the event itself and its likely impact on the course of the select committee etc. I don’t want to repeat any of that. Rather, when thinking about the conversations I’ve had with my grand daughter about why she saw it as important, I’m reminded again about how important it is for us, as educators, to give emphasis to the development of personal dispositions such as critical thinking and citizenship in what we do – alongside the development of core skills such as reading and maths of course!
So what should/could we, as schools and educators, be doing? In her recent Substack post, Sarah Aiono highlighted the contradictions in advice regarding the role of schools, teachers, parents and students in relation to the Hīkoi mō Te Tiriti, noting that while David Seymour has criticised teachers who supported students attending the hikoi, his statements stand in stark contrast to the professional and legal obligations placed on teachers – prompting the Ministry of Education to issue guidelines reminding schools and kura they were required to be politically neutral. If by ‘neutral’ it means not falling into the trap of presenting an un-critical or even biased view of what is happening, then I’d agree. But the implicit messaging appears to me to suggest that schools should be avoiding any form of engagement in these issues within programmes of learning, and concentrating instead of raising levels of achievement in literacy and numeracy.
When I sat to think about how to have the conversation with my grandchildren, we first established some agreement around Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and how it establishes a foundational relationship between the Crown and Māori that goes beyond simple legal equality. Key aspects include:
- The concept of partnership between Māori and the Crown
- Protection of rangatiratanga (self-determination)
- Active protection of Māori interests, including cultural heritage
- The principle of good faith
We then engaged in thinking about how we could analyse the current debate – and encourage others to do the same. Here’s what we came up with:
The ‘Equal Rights” Argument
The position taken by those promoting the bill appears to focus on…
- Universal legal equality
- Opposition to rights based on ancestry
- Interpretation of *nga tikanga katoa rite tahi* as meaning identical rights
The “Partnership Perspective”
The counter argument centres on…
- Recognition that equality doesn’t always mean identical treatment
- Understanding that the Treaty established a partnership framework
- Acknowledgment that protecting indigenous rights strengthens, rather than diminishes, overall social equality
- Recognition that the Treaty’s principles support cultural preservation alongside legal rights
Each of these points (and I’m sure there could be more added) provides a starting point for deeper exploration of meaning. For example, what’s the difference between equality and equity? What is meant by the idea of ‘partnership’ in terms of the Treaty? What is meant by cultural and legal rights – and what is the difference? etc.
Taking that thinking further, here are some more ideas that might be useful for incorporating conversations about Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the context of our teaching and learning in schools…
Unpacking the Historical Context
- What were the circumstances surrounding the Treaty signing?
- How has the Treaty interpretation evolved over time?
- What has been the impact on New Zealand’s social development?
Focus on Critical Analysis Skills
- Examining different interpretations of key concepts
- Understanding the difference between equality and equity
- Analysing how historical documents shape contemporary society
Develop Cultural Competency
- Develop understanding of tikanga Māori and te ao Māori
- Appreciate the role of indigenous perspectives – seek to view events through different lenses
- Develop cross-cultural communication skills
Promote Inquiry-Based Learning and Critical Thinking
- Encourage students to research different perspectives
- Examine primary sources and multiple interpretations
- Facilitate respectful discussions about different viewpoints
Seek Out Real-World Applications
- Connect Treaty principles to everyday situations
- Explore how Treaty partnerships work in practice
- Study successful examples of Treaty-based initiatives
In all of this, teachers should seek to create safe learning environments where these conversations can be had without prejudice, modelling and developing critical thinking skills when applied to accessing, interpreting and processing information that is available. This requires the establishment of ground rules for respectful discussion, acknowledging the sensitivity of the topic for many.
All of this is important, not only for the future of our country of Aotearoa/NZ, but also for the future of the planet. These capabilities will serve not only to develop a generation of young people who are more knowledgeable about the principle of partnership and what honouring a Treaty means, but they will also be more equipped to participate as citizens on the global scene. The concept of Global Citizenship is something we need to be actively pursuing in our schools. I took the following benefits of doing this from Maria Perreau’s article titled Global citizenship education as education for social justice published in NZCER’s Curriculum Matters (2019)
Developing Global Citizenship….
- Transcends political borders, and assumes that responsibilities and rights can be derived from being a ‘citizen of the world’
- Develops core competencies which allow learners to actively engage with the world.
- Builds understanding of world events – both in the present and with an historical lens.
- Takes learning into the real world.
- Is about education for social justice.
- Is about contributing to creating a better and more sustainable future for all.
When I think of my grandchildren, these are the capabilities I wish to see featuring large on their graduate profiles as they leave school – alongside the essential skills required for them to achieve these things, including a wide range of literacy, numeracy and writing skills, together with a basic grasp of core knowledge in areas such as science, history, art, music etc. Without these things becoming critically engaged in these more complex capabilities becomes difficult – but if we focus only on these thing we are guilty of developing only the next generation of factory and office workers, compliant, conforming and un-critically doing the work assigned to them to do.
