Source: Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa (NZSTA)
Te Whakarōpūtanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa – New Zealand School Boards Association (NZSBA) President Meredith Kennett, speaking on the behalf of the Association’s membership arm, says removing the Te Tiriti o Waitangi clause from the s127 of the Education and Training Act 2020 undermines the legal and practical standing of school boards as Crown entities and risks damaging wider social cohesion, to no clear benefit.
Ms Kennett says boards have a clear legal and moral duty to understand and give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
“As Crown entities, school boards absolutely have a responsibility to understand and give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi,” Ms Kennett said.
“The suggestion that this clause makes no difference simply isn’t true. It has been the reason many board members came to fully understand their responsibilities as Crown representatives and, in turn, why many schools adjusted policies and procedures to better reflect the needs of whānau Māori and all New Zealanders.”
Ms Kennett also challenges Minister Stanford’s characterisation of school board members as “volunteers” this morning in an interview.
“Board members are elected directors there to do a job,” she said.
“They are entrusted with significant legal responsibilities, representing both their local community and the Crown in the governance of their schools.”
She said the Treaty clause had been a practical and unifying influence in schools, not a divisive one.
“It causes no harm to have it there, but causes plenty of harm, including to social cohesion, by removing it,” Ms Kennett said.
Ms Kennett said boards striving to meet their paramount objectives, particularly around student achievement and wellbeing, must understand the whole child, and that inherently includes an understanding of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
“To understand attendance and achievement statistics for rangatahi Māori, you have to understand our history – and that includes Te Tiriti,” she said.
“That understanding leads to more practical, effective, and inclusive school policies.”
Ms Kennett also expressed concern about the legislative process surrounding the proposed removal.
“There was no official notification that the Government intended to remove this clause,” she said.
“Introducing such a significant change at the Committee of the Whole House stage, without consultation, is deeply questionable.”
Ms Kennett says according to media reporting, the Ministry of Education did not issue any advice recommending removal of the clause and urges the Government to reconsider.
“Boards are doing the hard work of understanding their communities and improving outcomes for all students,” Ms Kennett said.
“This clause has supported that work, not hindered it.”
