Te Pāti Māori stands in solidarity with NZEI Te Riu Roa, the National Iwi Chairs Forum, and kura across Aotearoa who have made it clear that Te Tiriti o Waitangi will not be erased from our classrooms. Te Pāti Māori will restore Te Tiriti protections to education law within the first 100 days when in government.
This Government has torn Te Tiriti from our education law.
“It is an act of ideological vandalism and a deliberate choice to silence the Māori Crown relationship in the one place every child passes through: our schools,” said Co-Leader Debbie Ngarewa Packer.
“When the Crown retreats from Te Tiriti, our kura rise to meet it,” said Co-Leader Rawiri Waititi. “This is not a debate about policy wording. It is about power, partnership, and truth. Our educators are standing where this Government has failed, on the side of justice.”
“We stand proudly with every kura, every kaiako, and every whānau who refuse to let Te Tiriti be diminished,” said Debbie Ngarewa-Packer. “They are showing courage and integrity in a time when both are in short supply. That is mana motuhake in action.”
Te Pāti Māori condemns the Minister of Education’s handling of this change, rushed through Parliament without consultation and without honesty. The Government has stripped school boards of their duty to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, weakening the foundations of partnership and accountability across the education system.
“Education is where our tamariki learn who they are,” said Ngarewa-Packer. “When we teach truth, we build belonging. When we erase Te Tiriti, we erase the heart of this country.”
“We are the only movement in this House that fights for our people, whether they vote for us or not,” added Waititi. “We do it out of love, out of duty, and because Te Tiriti is not theirs to erase. It is ours to uphold.”
Te Pāti Māori reaffirms its commitment to restoring Te Tiriti protections in education law when it returns to Government, ensuring every school and kura is guided by the principles of partnership, participation, and protection.