The Government has announced it will remove the legislated requirement for school boards to “give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi” as part of their governance duties in our schools. Hobson's Pledge's campaign to Stop Stanford’s Sneaky Sell-Out has succeeded.

“We said from the start of our campaign that requiring school boards to give effect to the Treaty of Waitangi was more about political theatre than student achievement. We said it would place an unfair burden on board of trustee volunteers. And Minister Stanford took to the media to call us liars, suggest we were racists, and tell us we were peddling ‘garbage and lies’. Today, the Government has backed down and we were proven right,” says Hobson’s Pledge trustee Elliot Ikilei.

“Chris Hipkins says this is a victory for Hobson’s Pledge and we acknowledge the impact of the determination of our supporters throughout this campaign. However, we consider this a victory for parents, students, and volunteers. A victory for all New Zealanders who want an education system for our children that treats them all equally regardless of ethnicity or ancestry.

“This move will allow schools to focus on educating kids, including raising education outcomes of Māori, rather than navel-gazing on the meaning of the Treaty and local tikanga.

“At Hobson’s Pledge, our vision is simple: every child deserves the same opportunity to succeed, no matter who they are or where they come from. Education should be the great equaliser. The place where curiosity and hard work matter more than ancestry or ideology. When we strip away the political clutter and focus on what actually works, we give every young New Zealander the best shot at a great future.

“The fact that Minister Stanford has relented means the debate we were told was dead was very much alive. Our wider fight continues in pushing back against creeping ideological obligations in our schools, ensuring boards focus on teaching children to read, write and succeed rather than performing ineffectual race-based tick-box exercises.”

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