The National Iwi Chairs Forum is going to present the ‘Protect Te Tiriti in Education’ petition to Parliament, which has almost 24,000 Kiwi signatures.
This comes after the recent amendment to the Education and Training Act section 127(2)(e) that removed the school boards’ requirement to give effect to the Treaty.
The petition being presented is a call to reverse the decision made by the coalition government.
Chair of Pou Tangata, Rahui Papa, said the amendment affects every learner.
“Te Tiriti o Waitangi is the foundation of partnership in Aotearoa - our position is removing it from education law undermines our shared responsibility to ensure every learner, Māori and non-Māori, thrives in a system that honours this founding relationship.
“More than 23,000 people across Aotearoa have added their names to the petition, calling on this Government to affirm its commitment to Te Tiriti and ensure that it still has a meaningful place in education.
“Even though the Government has already passed legislation that repeals Te Tiriti to be given effect by school boards, we are pleased to be delivering the petition to leaders across the political spectrum who are committed to fighting for an equitable, supportive and uplifting education system for our tamariki,” Papa wrote in a statement.
The controversial amendment has sparked a chain reaction with over a thousand schools across Aotearoa deciding to continue to give effect to Te Tiriti.
Last month, when questioned about the schools continuing their support, Education Minister Erica Standford said it was up to the individual schools to decide what they would do.
“I don’t have any idea how many schools there are who are going to continue to honour the treaty, but that’s up to them. I’ve laid down a challenge - make sure that you’re raising student achievement for tamariki Māori, make sure you are being culturally competent, and make sure that you are teaching the language.”
The petition is going to be presented on Monday.
