Waitangi Tribunal Opens Urgent Inquiry into School Treaty Obligations and Curriculum Overhaul

The Waitangi Tribunal examines the government’s removal of Treaty obligations from school boards and curriculum shifts, amid warnings of harm to Māori learners.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 15, 2026, 4:18 AM EDT

Source: RNZ Pacific

Constitutional Significance of Section 127 Removal

The core of the dispute lies in the amendment to the Education and Training Act 2020, specifically the removal of Section 127. This provision previously mandated that school boards give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi in their governance and strategic planning. Claimants argue that removing this statutory requirement systematically dismantles the partnership between the Crown and Māori within the education sector.

The Tribunal granted urgency after finding that the changes carry immense constitutional weight, particularly because they were implemented without formal consultation with Māori. Legal representatives for the iwi and union argue that the move signals a return to a "long-standing pattern" of the Crown unilaterally dictating terms to Māori, effectively ignoring the two-nation deal struck in 1840.

Curriculum Resets and Cultural Safety Risks

Beyond governance, the inquiry is scrutinizing the overhaul of the national curriculum, including Te Mātaiaho and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. Claimants assert that these changes risk making Māori knowledge, culture, and language "invisible" in the classroom. NZEI Te Riu Roa president Ripeka Lessels presented evidence suggesting that Māori learners are most engaged when they see their own identity reflected in their environment—a progress that she believes is now being undermined.

The inquiry heard that the removal of Treaty obligations could lead to a decline in Māori representation on school boards and a reduction in the prioritization of te reo Māori and tikanga. There are significant concerns that the loss of a legal mandate will allow schools to opt out of cultural safety measures, potentially widening the existing achievement gap for tamariki Māori.