Tauranga Intermediate School principal Cameron Mitchell says his school remains firmly committed to upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi, despite the government’s move to remove Treaty obligations from the Education and Training Act.
Mitchell, who has led the school for more than five years, says Te Tiriti principles, te reo Māori, and tikanga are deeply embedded across the curriculum.
“We are one hundred percent committed to giving effect to Te Tiriti because we’ve seen the benefits through our localised curriculum, which helps students build knowledge of themselves within the Tauranga Moana context,” Mitchell says.
“When Māori see themselves reflected in our curriculum and our environment, they feel connected to their learning - their motivation and esteem increase as well,” he says.
He explains that nearly 40 percent of Tauranga Intermediate’s students are Māori, and ensuring they feel their identity and culture are represented in learning is key to engagement and achievement.
The school’s stance aligns with a growing number of boards nationwide who have made public statements reaffirming their Treaty commitments. More than 200 schools have now written to Education Minister Erica Stanford or released their own statements confirming they will continue to honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi, according to the School Boards Association and lawyer Tania Waikato.
Mitchell says Tauranga Intermediate’s commitment is about authenticity and accountability, not politics.
“We’ve been fortunate to have mana whenua from all three Tauranga iwi represented on staff. That helps ensure our curriculum gives respect and mana to our local stories and the land we stand on,” he says.
“For us, this isn’t about compliance - it’s about who we are as a school and as a community.”
Across the motu, other schools have expressed similar sentiments, describing their Treaty commitments as ethical and educational imperatives rather than political ones.
Tauranga Intermediate’s Te Tiriti-Based curriculum shines as Kapa Haka team placed third nationally
Te Whānau o Te Maro Hauhake placed third at the National Kapa Haka Mana Kuratahi Competition out of 62 competing Kapa, a result that kaiako Ed Te Moana attributes to Tauranga Intermediate’s strong Te Tiriti-based curriculum.
“He kāhui kaiako hei whakaako ki ngā kaiako i tēnei mea te whakaputanga, te Tiriti o Waitangi, koirā ngā kaupapa matua i roto i tō mātou kura, Ko au tētahi o ngā kaiwhakahaere,” hei tā Te Moana.
“I te timatanga o tēnei tau tae noa ki tēnei wiki, koirā wā mātou mahi he whakaako ki ngā kaiako, He aha tēnei mea te Tiriti o Waitangi ki a mātou?, He aha tēnei mea te whakaputanga ki a mātou?,” hei tāna anō.
Iwi Chairs launch petition against removal of Treaty obligations from education law
The National Iwi Chairs Forum (NICF), backed by a coalition of national education organisations, has launched a petition opposing the Government’s decision to remove schools’ Treaty of Waitangi obligations from education law. The move follows last-minute amendments to repeal section 127(2)(e) of the Education and Training Act 2020, which required school boards to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
NICF Pou Tangata Chair Rahui Papa says the changes were made without public consultation and risk undermining the Māori–Crown relationship in education.
“We’re launching this petition to send a clear message to the Government: removing Te Tiriti from education law undermines your responsibility to ensure every learner, Māori and non-Māori, thrives in an education system that honours the Māori-Crown relationship,” he says.
The Govt passed the Education and Training Amendment Bill (No 2) third reading in Parliament this week.
Education Minister Erica Stanford says the Government’s priority is to refocus schools on lifting achievement and attendance, rather than interpreting Treaty obligations.
“Student achievement is at the heart of the education reforms we are introducing that are grounded in evidence and ambitious for our young people,” she says.
“This legislation is about ensuring our education system is responsive, well-governed, and focused on delivering better outcomes for our young people,” she says.
Under the new legislation, one key change will require all schools to have attendance management plans in place by 25 January 2026, based on the Stepped Attendance Response (STAR) framework.
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the STAR system introduces escalating responses when a student’s attendance drops below key thresholds, with the goal of supporting students to return to regular attendance.
Each school will design its own STAR plan tailored to its community and context, while following a nationally consistent framework. Seymour says the approach emphasises shared responsibility, with students, parents, teachers, and schools all playing a role at each stage to help address attendance issues early and effectively.
