“Te Tiriti is already written into law. It’s already promised. It should not fall to individual kaiako and kura to hold the line while government policy undermines it.” — Rongopai Kira, tumu whenua (deputy principal) of Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga. (Photo: Mark Coote)

Efforts to minimise Te Tiriti in education harm our tamariki, writes Rongopai Kira, who is the tumu whenua/deputy principal, at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga.

When education makes the news, the focus is usually on dollars and cents — pay negotiations, budgets, or funding cuts. But for those of us working in kura kaupapa Māori, the story runs deeper. What’s at stake is not just our livelihoods, but the survival of Te Tiriti o Waitangi within the education system.

In recent months, this government has taken a series of steps that are erasing Te Tiriti from our classrooms. For kaiako, whānau, hapū and iwi, these decisions cut to the heart of who we are and what we stand for.

Te Tiriti o Waitangi is not simply a historical document. It’s a living agreement that promises protection for te reo Māori, tikanga, whenua, and tino rangatiratanga.

For tamariki in kura, Te Tiriti is what makes learning meaningful. It allows them to see themselves reflected in their classrooms, to know their whakapapa, and to grow up proud of their identity.

For hapū and iwi, Te Tiriti ensures their histories and tikanga are not left out of the national story. Local curriculum matters because tamariki deserve to learn the stories of their own whenua, not just a generic version written elsewhere.

For kaiako, Te Tiriti affirms the work we’ve been doing for decades — teaching our children that their reo has mana, that their whakapapa is a strength, and that they can stand tall as Māori in the world.

Despite these commitments, the current government has been stripping away the place of Te Tiriti in education. Some of the most concerning moves include:

Removing reo from early readers — denying tamariki the chance to meet their language in the very first stories they encounter at school.

Deleting references to Te Tiriti from Te Mātaiaho and the English purpose statement — a change that directly contradicts section 127 of the Education and Training Act (2020).

Scrapping resource teachers of Māori (RTMs) and slashing Te Ahu o te Reo — cutting off vital supports for kaiako and kura.

Removing “local curriculum” from the Education and Training Act — dismissing the value of teaching that connects tamariki to their whenua, hapū, and iwi.

Education is never neutral. Every decision either upholds Te Tiriti or erodes it.

Even where resources are still produced, the government has standardised them in ways that show little understanding of culture. Simply swapping words between languages is not bilingualism. Reo is not just vocabulary — it carries worldview, history, and whakapapa.

The impact on tamariki

The evidence is already clear: tamariki thrive in Māori-medium education. The NCEA results consistently show higher achievement in kura kaupapa Māori.

International researchers have affirmed what we already know — that success comes when tamariki learn in their reo, within their tikanga, and in a way connected to their whakapapa.

And yet, instead of supporting this success, the government is undermining it. Removing reo from early readers, stripping out references to Te Tiriti, and cutting key support sends one message: being Māori doesn’t belong in our national education system.

That message damages tamariki. It chips away at their confidence, their sense of belonging, and their future. By erasing Te Tiriti from education, the government is telling tamariki their identity doesn’t belong.

The impact on kaiako

For kaiako, the consequences are exhausting. Every day, we face fewer resources, fewer professional development opportunities, and more pressure to carry the weight of Te Tiriti ourselves.

We see the confusion in tamariki when reo disappears from their readers. We feel the frustration when professional learning and development programmes — like the reo-focused Te Ahu o Te Reo — are cut, and when specialist roles like resource teachers of Māori are defunded.

We shoulder the burden of ensuring that Te Tiriti lives in our classrooms, even when government policy tries to erase it.

And yet we carry on. Because whānau believe in kura. Because hapū and iwi continue to feed us mātauranga. Because our tamariki deserve an education that honours who they are.

We’re not asking for special treatment. We’re demanding that Te Tiriti be upheld.

Te Tiriti is already written into law. It’s already promised. It should not fall to individual kaiako and kura to hold the line while government policy undermines it.

So, what we’re asking for as kaiako Māori is simple: Uphold Te Tiriti so that tamariki can learn in their reo, within their tikanga, and on their whenua. Honour Te Tiriti so that whānau, hapū, and iwi see their histories and knowledge valued. Resource kaiako so that we can do the work we’ve always done with the proper tools and support.

As kaiako Māori, we will continue to teach Te Tiriti. That commitment comes from our whakapapa, not from a government policy. But we can’t continue to carry this alone.

The government must honour its obligations — in words, in law, and in practice. Our tamariki deserve nothing less. Our kura deserve nothing less. And Aotearoa, if it is to fulfil its promise as a nation founded on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, deserves nothing less.

Rongopai Kira (Te Aupouri, Ngāti Kahu ki Whangaroa, Ngāpuhi ki Whāngaroa, Ngāti Rehia, Ngāti Whatua ki Kaipara) is the tumu whenua/deputy principal at Te Kura Kaupapa Māori o Ngāti Kahungunu ki Heretaunga.

He holds a Master of  Education from Te Wānanga o Raukawa, and a diploma in Te Pīnakitanga ki te Reo Kairangi from Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

E-Tangata, 2025