In recent weeks the New Zealand Government announced that it will remove the legal requirement for school boards to “give effect to” the Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the schooling system. This change merits serious reflection. As a philanthropic funder serving children, young people and the environment in the wider Waikato region, the Len Reynolds Trust is deeply concerned about what this alteration signifies and its potential consequences for equity, ngā tikanga Māori and our shared future.
What has happened
Under the current law (specifically the Education and Training Act 2020), school boards were required to “give effect” to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This included duties such as ensuring school plans, policies and local curricula reflected local tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori and te ao Māori; making instruction available in tikanga Māori and te reo Māori; and working toward equitable outcomes for Māori students.
The Government’s change removes that treaty‑clause for school boards, shifting the legal responsibility for Te Tiriti obligations to the Crown, while leaving school boards with a requirement only to “seek to achieve equitable outcomes for Māori students” and to provide for te reo Māori when requested. This move was described by several education sector groups as “ideologically driven” and part of a broader shift in how Te Tiriti is treated in education.
Some schools and boards have publicly affirmed they will continue to honour Te Tiriti despite the legal change.
Undermining equity and cultural recognition
The removal of the legal duty for boards to give effect to Te Tiriti risks signalling that Māori language, culture, identity and history are optional rather than foundational in our education system. Many in the sector see Te Tiriti clause as underpinning those aspects.
By weakening the legal mandate, the change may diminish the expectation that all schools engage meaningfully with Māori perspectives. As our Trust works with rural and often underserved communities in the Waikato region - including Māori communities - this is a concern: if schools no longer have clear statutory obligations, those communities may face even greater disadvantage.
The long‑view of responsible governance and legacy
Our founding values at the Len Reynolds Trust emphasise education, giving, and doing the work to leave things better for future generations. The inclusion of Te Tiriti obligations in schooling reflected a recognition that Te Tiriti is not a symbol alone, but the basis of partnership, rights and responsibilities. Removing the obligation weakens the link between schooling (education about identity, history, culture) and wider societal aims of resilience and opportunity for all young people - including Māori.
In rural areas particularly, educational environments that reflect and affirm Māori culture, history and language help create a sense of belonging, identity and connection. Removing Te Tiriti may reduce the impetus for boards to embed those elements in policy, curriculum and local practice.
Risk to tamariki and rangatahi Māori and broader cohesion
Research and practice show that when students see their culture and language reflected in their learning environment, engagement and achievement improve. The decision to remove the clause has been described by unions as a risk to Māori ākonga engagement.
From a societal perspective, Te Tiriti is a foundational document in Aotearoa New Zealand. Removing its consideration from our schooling governance sends a message about whose history, whose language and whose worldview matters. That has implications for social cohesion, for Māori–Crown relationships, and for the legacy we pass to young people. Some pronouncements in the media describe this change as part of a broader trend of diminishing Māori cultural references in education.
The trust model and relational philanthropy lens
We operate on a model of high trust, relationships and long‑term benefit. Schools and boards are part of the ecosystem that supports community resilience, identity and future‑facing agency for young people. Undermining one part of that ecosystem (the obligation of boards to engage with Te Tiriti‑based governance) threatens that relational model. It places additional risk on Māori‑led organisations and communities already working to ensure their young people thrive.
From our perspective, to level the playing field is to ensure structures uphold the rights and identity of communities - not to remove or dilute them.
What we propose and encourage
We invite schools and boards in our region and beyond to continue to honour Te Tiriti in their governance, curriculum and culture, even in the absence of a legal requirement.
We encourage our partners to strengthen their commitment to mātauranga Māori, te reo Māori and kaupapa Māori educational practices. We see these as essential to meaningful engagement and outcomes.
We will continue to seek out and support initiatives that recognise Māori communities as tangata whenua, uphold their place in our region and ensure young people are secure, resilient and thriving.
We call on policymakers to revisit the wisdom of removing Te Tiriti from school boards. A commitment to equitable outcomes must go beyond an aspiration to a structural obligation if we are serious about change.
The decision to remove the legal requirement for school boards to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi is not simply a technical tweak to education legislation - it symbolises a shift in how our society values and embeds Māori identity, culture and rights in schooling, governance and community life. At the Len Reynolds Trust, we believe that true equity and thriving young people depend on structures that respect, reflect and actively engage with Te Tiriti. Removing the duty weakens one such structure.
We stand alongside those in education, Māori communities and the wider sector who are urging a stronger foundation, not a weaker one, for our children, young people and future generations.