Source: Radio New Zealand
The tino rangatiratanga haki (flag) outside Parliament on the day of the Treaty Principles Bill introduction. RNZ / Emma Andrews
Campaigners have rejected statements from the Education Minister that schools are being pressured to reaffirm their commitment to Te Tiriti.
As of 27 November, more than 1300 schools have publicly reaffirmed they will continue giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi – despite the government removing school boards’ Treaty requirement from the Education and Training Act.
The movement of support for Te Tiriti from kura has grown rapidly in recent weeks through Te Rārangi Rangatira, a list compiled by lawyer Tania Waikato.
Waikato previously told RNZ the surge of support from kura sent a clear message that “everything this government is doing to try and remove Te Tiriti…is being resisted”.
“It’s totally organic. It’s not being led by any particular person or movement. It is a wonderful expression of kotahitanga.”
A map of schools who are committed to giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi has been described as “disgusting behaviour” by the Education Minister. Supplied
In recent days, the list has drawn criticism from the government MPs.
Education Minister Erica Stanford previously told media that while the Treaty requirement was being removed from legislation, kura were “absolutely welcome” to uphold Te Tiriti if they wished.
However, she also said she had heard from principals who felt “very unfair” and “nasty” pressure to sign the statements.
“Quite often they’re signing up when in fact it wasn’t something that they particularly wanted to do,” she said.
“But they feel that there’s pressure on them from certain people in society. And I think it’s frankly disgusting the behaviour, creating maps around the country and lists that people feel that they have to be on otherwise, you know, they’ll be maligned.”
She said “that kind of behaviour is awful”.
National Party MP for Tauranga Sam Uffindell’s Facebook social media post has sparked backlash online from Te Tiriti o Waitangi advocates. Supplied / Screenshot facebook
In a Facebook post on Thursday, National MP for Tauranga Sam Uffindell described the statements from schools as “frankly disgusting” and alleged that unions were “standing over principals” to pressure them to sign.
“Unions are standing over principals and school boards pressuring them to sign their anti-govt pledge. Frankly disgusting,” he wrote.
Waikato said kura, boards and principals’ associations had been sending in statements from across the motu of their own accord, and rejected suggestions of union involvement.
“My response to claims that the schools on Te Rārangi Rangatira were somehow pressured into signing up by imaginary union standovers or ‘nasty’ pressure is that the minister is now grasping at straws because the extremely unpopular policy that she didn’t consult widely on is being very firmly and very publicly rejected,” she told RNZ.
“Every single teacher, principal and proud parent that has contacted us… has done so voluntarily. Nobody forced them or pressured them.”
She compared the criticism to ACT leader David Seymour’s earlier suggestion that thousands of submissions opposing the Regulatory Standards Bill were written by “bots”.
“But even he has now backtracked… and recognised the right of these schools to exercise their freedom to choose to give effect to TeTiriti.”
Waikato said comments by Stanford and Uffindell characterising the growing list as “frankly disgusting” or “anti-government” were “concerning” and did not reflect what she was seeing.
“This isn’t the unions. It’s the people. They are speaking.
“None of the statements I’ve received have come from unions… they’re from schools, boards, churches and principals’ associations, including many in Tauranga,” she said.
“To say this is some anti-government pledge ignores what the minister herself has said – that schools are free to continue giving effect to Te Tiriti if they choose.”
A growing number of schools across Aotearoa are reaffirming their commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, despite the government removing school boards’ Treaty requirement from the Education and Training Act. Supplied
She noted 21 collective statements on the list represented large principals’ associations, including more than 400 Auckland principals.
“What I can say with 100 percent certainty is that this list is voluntary and nobody has, or could, force a school to sign. The entire notion is preposterous.”
Waikato said people only had to take a moment to read a few of the hundreds and hundreds of letters from the schools on the growing list “to understand what it signals about those schools and their stance on Te Tiriti”.
“The core theme repeated over and over again is that Te Tiriti is our founding constitutional document. Period.”
Waikato said Te Tiriti o Waitangi “is not a political football or a compliance task”.
“‘It is a living covenant that calls us into right relationship with one another – a moral partnership grounded in justice, dignity and respect for the mana of all peoples’. That is a direct quote from the letter written by Aquinas College in Tauranga. And I think it speaks volumes about what Te Tiriti means to these schools.”
Education Minister Erica Stanford. RNZ / Mark Papalii
RNZ approached Stanford for further comment and was referred to her stand-up on Tuesday where she reinforced her commitment to “fight for our kids”.
“My message to schools is what we expect is achievement to improve, especially for our tamariki Māori and if those schools are doing all of the things that we’re asking of them in section 127, including offering to being culturally responsive and ensuring that tamariki Māori have equal outcomes, and then if they wish to… honour the treaty or uphold the treaty over and above that, then they’re absolutely welcome to do that.”
RNZ has also gone to Uffindell for comment.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
