Labour says a new Waitangi Tribunal report finding Te Tiriti breaches in the Government’s curriculum reforms shows Māori have been shut out of decisions directly affecting the education of tamariki Māori.
The Tribunal has released its report into the Government’s changes to the national curriculum, finding problems with the Crown’s engagement with Māori and recommending a return to stronger partnership in the development of education policy.
The Tribunal found the Crown breached Treaty principles through aspects of its curriculum reform process, including inadequate engagement with Māori and insufficient evidence that the changes would address existing inequities for Māori learners.
Labour Associate Education Māori spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime says the findings reinforce a basic principle — decisions affecting Māori education should be developed with Māori rather than imposed on Māori.
Prime says Labour accepts the Tribunal’s findings and, if elected, will work in partnership with Māori to enable greater Māori leadership over Māori education.
The party argues the curriculum refresh undertaken during the previous Labour Government was intended to address longstanding inequities within an education system that has historically produced poorer outcomes for many Māori learners.
Labour says the Tribunal’s report also demonstrates how quickly trust between Māori and the Crown can be damaged when significant reforms are pursued without meaningful partnership.
The Government has defended its wider curriculum reforms as necessary to establish a clearer, knowledge-rich national curriculum and lift achievement, including through greater consistency in what children are taught.
The Tribunal findings now put Māori education firmly back into the political spotlight ahead of Election 2026, with the debate extending beyond what is taught in classrooms to a more fundamental question — who gets to help decide the future of education for tamariki Māori?
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