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November 25, 2025
Tairāwhiti Kura Pledge to Uphold Te Tiriti Despite Law Change
Waatea Team
Posted On November 25, 2025
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From a Māori world view, the decision by 20 kura (schools) in Tairāwhiti to publicly commit to upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi is a powerful act of tino rangatiratanga and mana Māori. These kura are resisting recent changes to education law that remove the legal obligation for school boards to “give effect to Te Tiriti.”
Māori leaders see this not just as a symbolic stand – it’s about preserving the place of Te Tiriti in how tamariki learn about identity, belonging, and partnership.
Te Pāti Māori has strongly backed the kura, NZEI (the teachers’ union), and iwi via the National Iwi Chairs Forum, calling the removal of the Treaty clause “ideological vandalism.”
