Source: Radio New Zealand
Education Minister Erica Stanford visits Rangitoto College, Auckland, 5 August 2025. RNZ / Calvin Samuel
Two of the boards that spoke out over the government’s axing of their Treaty of Waitangi obligations say they are getting strong support.
Some boards made public statements reiterating their commitment to the Treaty after the government announced it would cut a Treaty requirement from the Education and Training Act.
It was not clear how many of the more than 2000 state schools had made a statement.
However, tallies kept by the School Boards Association and lawyer Tania Waikato showed more than 200 schools had written to the Education Minister Erica Stanford or confirmed they would continue to uphold the treaty and the number was growing.
The association expected that number to rise because most boards would not have met since the government last week announced that it would cut the Treaty obligation this week.
The board of Dyer Street School in the Hutt Valley said upholding the Treaty was the right thing to do for its students.
The board’s presiding member Matt Weldon-Smith told RNZ the school wrote its own statement.
He said the Treaty was important to the school.
“I know it’s a bit of a political football, but it’s not really a political issue to us. It feels more like an ethical, educational one. So, that honouring Te Tiriti ensures every child feels valued, respected and represented in their learning,” he said.
Weldon-Smith said community reaction has been incredibly positive.
“It’s clearly touched people and it’s been one of probably our most reactive messages we put out this year,” he said.
“Looking at the comments… it’s almost overwhelmingly positive and supportive.”
The board of Queens High in Dunedin said in an online statement its commitment to the Treaty was not a compliance exercise.
Its presiding member Kate Kaddell told RNZ the Treaty was fundamental for schools in an inclusive society.
“What it means for us is that when we are making decisions, we look at them through a lens of equity and cultural responsiveness and inclusion,” she said.
She said the school made a public statement to assure its community that it followed through on what it said.
Kaddell said the school had about 600 students and reaction from its community was positive.
“As at this afternoon I can see 1600 engagements,” she said.
“If you look at the emojis as a data point, there’s only one angry red face and the rest in that number – 912 loves, 745 thumbs-up, 14 caring signs, and one sadness emoji. So that’s quite a a snapshot of affirmation for our community.”
Meanwhile, a petition by the Iwi Chairs Forum calling for reinstatement of the Treaty clause had 13,275 signatures by late Thursday afternoon.
The government has said the Treaty is an obligation for the Crown, not schools.
It said schools should be focused on ensuring high achievement for all students, not on figuring out how to give effect to the Treaty.
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
