Why Our Schools Must Keep Their Commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi

After more than 50 years in education, I’ve learned that the most powerful learning happens when children see themselves reflected in their classroom – when their language, culture, and identity are recognised and valued. This isn’t ideology; it’s reality, proven time and again in schools and communities across Aotearoa. It’s also why I’m deeply concerned about the government’s proposal to remove the requirement for school boards to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Last week I attended the FullScale Symposium in New Orleans with two New Zealand school leaders. One is the principal of a small, multi-cultural primary school in Auckland, and the other is the deputy principal of a very large multi-cultural primary school in Hamilton. We presented one of the first workshops at the event, and my colleagues presented on how honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi shapes practice in their schools. Both colleagues shared how working with whānau to establish shared purpose has transformed engagement and achievement – living proof that giving effect to Te Tiriti isn’t an abstract policy idea but a practical pathway to success.

With this in mind I became motivated to write this post after I read this morning how the current government is proposing to remove the requirement for school boards to “give effect to” Te Tiriti o Waitangi, arguing that boards should focus on “practical things” like attendance and achievement. But here’s what concerns me: honouring Te Tiriti is one of the most practical things we can do to increase engagement and lift achievement, and more than that, to raise the aspirations of all for a future where all can thrive and experience success in life not just in learning.

Here’s what I believe “giving effect to Te Tiriti” should look like in our schools. It’s not complicated bureaucracy – it’s about ensuring every child succeeds. It means:

• Making sure Māori students achieve at the same levels as their peers
• Including local tikanga and mātauranga in what and how we teach
• Offering opportunities to learn te reo Māori
• Consulting with whānau and local iwi when making important decisions
• Creating environments where all students feel they belong

These aren’t additional burdens on boards – they’re core responsibilities of good governance that benefit all students, not just Māori learners.

Here are four key arguments that occur to me as I reflect on this situation this morning…

1.       This Is About Our Founding Agreement

Te Tiriti o Waitangi isn’t just another historical event to memorise alongside other historical events such as the Battle of Hastings. It’s our nation’s founding document. It’s a living agreement that continues to shape our laws, our society, and our relationships today. Unlike historical events that have concluded, Te Tiriti remains legally and morally binding.

When our forebears signed this agreement in 1840, the Crown made promises: to protect Māori rights and taonga (including language and knowledge systems), to enable Māori to make decisions about their affairs, and to ensure equal rights and privileges for all. For generations, we failed to honour these promises. The Education and Training Act 2020 was an attempt to finally make good on this commitment within our education system.

The government now argues that Te Tiriti obligations “rightfully sit with the Crown,” not with school boards. But school boards are Crown entities. They govern Crown institutions. If schools don’t honour this agreement, who will? And besides, surely creating the conditions where the Treaty is honoured by all citizens is a strategically sensible thing for the Crown to do in order to discharge its responsibilities in the first place?

The recently revised “knowledge rich” curriculum compounds this concern by positioning Te Tiriti alongside Greek civilisations, early explorers, and global migration stories – all examples of “cultural diversity” that students might explore. While students will learn about various cultures through activities reflecting “diverse cultural contexts,” this approach fundamentally misunderstands what Te Tiriti represents.

Te Tiriti is not simply another example of cultural diversity or multicultural awareness – it is the constitutional foundation of our nation. Treating it as just one cultural perspective among many, equivalent to learning about ancient Greece or Chinese dynasties, strips it of its unique legal standing and ongoing relevance.

This isn’t about celebrating cultural differences – important as that is. This is about honouring a solemn agreement that gives our government its legitimacy to govern. When we reduce Te Tiriti to a topic students might encounter while developing “key competencies” around cultural diversity, we’re abandoning our constitutional responsibility and telling Māori students and whānau that their place in our national story is optional, negotiable, disposable.

2.       This is About Raising Achievement

Over decades of working alongside schools with significant Māori student populations, I’ve seen the generational impact of colonisation: the loss of language, identity, and culture. I’ve also seen what happens when we get it right.

When children see their culture reflected and valued in their learning environment, something remarkable happens. Their engagement increases. Their confidence grows. They participate more actively because the learning matters to them personally. Research consistently shows that students with strong cultural identity perform better academically, have better mental health, and develop greater resilience.

But the impact extends far beyond individual students. When schools genuinely affirm Māori language and culture, the benefits ripple through entire whānau and communities. I’ve witnessed parents and grandparents reconnect with te reo and tikanga they’d lost through their own schooling experiences. When children come home speaking te reo, sharing cultural knowledge, and feeling proud of their heritage, it creates healing across generations. Whānau who’ve carried the pain of having their language and culture dismissed or punished in schools begin to reclaim what was taken. This strengthening of cultural identity within families and communities has profound downstream effects on social cohesion, mental health, and community wellbeing.

This isn’t just about Māori students and whānau either. When schools embrace cultural diversity and create truly inclusive environments, all students benefit. They develop empathy, critical thinking, and the cultural competence needed to thrive in our diverse nation and interconnected world.

3.       This is about our future – together

The government is claiming the 2020 Treaty clause “made no difference to raising the achievement of tamariki Māori.” I understand the desire for evidence of impact, but in my view four years is hardly sufficient time to evaluate systemic change in education, where transformation takes generations. More importantly, I challenge this assertion based on the context-specific evidence I’ve witnessed personally in schools that have genuinely embraced these principles.

We know what works! When Māori have genuine agency in educational decision-making, when their language and culture are reflected in their learning, when they’re free from discrimination, when whānau are actively involved – achievement improves. These conditions align precisely with what giving effect to Te Tiriti requires.

Our school boards don’t need less responsibility for Te Tiriti – they need better support to fulfil this vital obligation. The solution to implementation challenges isn’t to abandon our founding principles; it’s to provide clearer guidance, better resources, and stronger partnerships.

For the sake of all our children – Māori and non-Māori alike – we must maintain this commitment. Their success, and our nation’s future, depends on it.

4.       This is About Personal Transformation

To conclude, I need to acknowledge something important here. As a Pākehā male, my five decades in education haven’t just been about witnessing change in others – the students and communities – they’ve been about profound change within myself. Working alongside some amazing Māori educators, whānau, and communities has fundamentally shifted my thinking, challenged my assumptions, deepened my understanding, and transformed how I work. Learning to truly honour Te Tiriti has made me a better educator, a better leader, and a better person. This journey of growth and understanding is available to all of us, but only if we’re willing to stay committed to the partnership Te Tiriti established.

Walking away from this obligation doesn’t just harm Māori communities – it impoverishes us all by denying us the opportunity to grow into the nation we promised to become together.

References

• The New Zealand Curriculum – Te Mātaiaho
• Government to remove requirement for boards to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• The Treaty of Waitangi (Wikipedia)
• Human Rights and Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• Giving Better Effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
• Submission to the Select Committee on the Education and Training Amendment Bill (No 2) 2025
• FullScale Symposium