NZCER voices opposition for Treaty Principles Bill, cites impacts on education

Rangahau Mātauranga o Aotearoa | NZ Council for Educational Research (NZCER) has released its submission document opposing the Treaty Principles Bill (the Bill), outlining its potential impacts on the education sector.

“Te Tiriti o Waitangi (1840) (te Tiriti) guides our work. We work within the relational space of kāwanatanga (article 1) and tino rangatiratanga (article 2) in the domain of education,” reads the submission. 

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Regarding education, the submission by NZCER notes that the Bill: 

• “Threatens progress made in revitalising te reo Māori and promoting Māori culture in schools.

• Risks misrepresenting the original Tiriti and white-washing our histories, negatively affecting Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories and Te Takanga o te Wā.

• Deeply affects the ability of students, teachers, school leadership, and school boards of trustees, as well as all other citizens of Aotearoa, to interpret Te Tiriti o Waitangi.”

The submission notes that te Tiriti is currently enmeshed in key education documents such as Te Whāriki (2017), The New Zealand Curriculum (2007) and The Education and Training Act (2020). The Bill would undermine these documents if it were passed. 

“NZCER stands with the education sector in resoundingly rejecting this bill,” adds Tumuaki Graeme Cosslett.   

“The proposed principles are inconsistent with Te Tiriti o Waitangi, they are unsupported by the text of Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and seriously breach Te Tiriti o Waitangi with implications for the education sector.”  

“We urge the Justice Select Committee to return the Bill to the House as quickly as possible with a recommendation that it is not workable and should not proceed.”