The National Iwi Chairs Forum (NICF) and Mātauranga Iwi Leaders Group (MILG) welcome the Waitangi Tribunal's decision to grant urgency to the inquiry into the government's removal of school boards' statutory duty to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. We stand with Ngāti Hine, Te Kapotai, and NZEI Te Riu Roa in bringing this matter forward.

“The Tribunal’s position that the removal of Section 127 of the Education and Training Act 2020 carries constitutional significance affirm breaches of the foundational obligations by the Crown,” says Rahui Papa, Chair of MILG.

Over 24,000 people signed the ‘Protect Te Tiriti o Waitangi in Education’ petition, presented directly to Minister Stanford in December 2025. More than 1,800 kura and schools, 70 percent of schools across Aotearoa, have since publicly reaffirmed their commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, with or without the law behind them. A concern raised directly by MILG with Education Minister.

“Culturally responsive education is foundational to ākonga wellbeing and success and must be supported across various layers of legislation, strategies, governance, leadership, and classroom practice,” adds Mr Papa.

This government has, in a single term, cut te reo Māori teacher training by $30 million; stopped te reo books reaching Year 1 classrooms; mandated English-first across the public service; disestablished Te Aka Whai Ora; repealed Section 7AA of the Oranga Tamariki Act; and introduced the Treaty Principles Bill. “Taken together, these are not isolated policy decisions but compound to accelerate the removal of te reo Māori and Māori rights from public life,” says Mr Papa.

Every ākonga in Aotearoa has the right to a Te Tiriti-grounded education regardless of where they live or who governs their school board. “We cannot continue to operate on intent alone because without clear measures and public accountability, ākonga Māori continue to bear the cost of systemic failure,” Mr Papa says.

“Te Tiriti o Waitangi establishes the conditions for partnership, accountability, and Māori authority within the system.”

© Scoop Media