Shifting Public Expectations vs Outdated Law There is a growing gap between modern views of consent (especially among youth) and what our laws say. Schools and public discourse now emphasize that consent must be active and affirmative – that a “hesitant or reluctant” response is not true consent. Yet legal practice still often treats such behavior as consenting. Juries have been told that reluctant consent “is still consent”, directly contradicting how consent is taught in schools. HELP Auckland captured this sentiment at the petition launch: our youth are demanding a law that reflects the principle of “free and voluntary agreement”. Unless the law is updated to match contemporary understanding, we send a confusing message: that societal norms around respectful intimacy count for nothing once a case goes to trial. Current Political Context Since the 2023 election, progress on consent law reform has stalled. The new Coalition government has so far taken only a narrow step by amending the law to protect children under 12. Unfortunately, no similar initiative has been announced for older teens or for defining consent itself.  Call to Action This reform has been called for repeatedly, supported by the public, and even acknowledged across political parties, but no government has yet made it a priority. Without prioritisation, change will never happen. Survivors will continue to be failed, and a broken system will remain in place. Parliament must enact an affirmative definition of consent — one based on free and voluntary agreement — and address age-based loopholes that allow predators to exploit teenagers. The Justice Select Committee has already given us a roadmap for change, and it is imperative that lawmakers follow through. A reformed consent law, shaped by survivors’ experiences, will better protect young people and demonstrate that Aotearoa’s legal standards match the values of its people. We call on the government to put this issue back on the agenda now, rather than delaying it further. To read our full letter, click on this link. If you would like to sign on behalf of your organisation, and add your logo as an organisational signatory, please contact Imogen Stone at [email protected].

Every person in Aotearoa should be able to enrol and vote safely, without fear that being on the electoral roll could put them or their whānau at risk. Enrolling should protect people’s right to participate in democracy while also upholding their personal safety and wellbeing.  Currently, the electoral roll in Aotearoa is public, meaning names and addresses are openly accessible. For many people, including survivors of violence or those with past convictions, this creates real safety risks. While the hidden (unpublished) roll exists, it is very hard to access and requires extensive proof of current risk. This leaves many vulnerable people unprotected. It also undermines whānau throughout Aotearoa who don’t have the financial stability to get legal representation to support their application. For example, my dad (an ex-prisoner) didn’t feel safe enrolling in 2023. He applied for the hidden roll but was denied, even though he was genuinely worried people from his past could find him and put him and our family at risk. This could be achieved by: • Expanding access to the hidden roll by broadening eligibility so people with credible past risks can apply.  • Making the application process faster, clearer, and easier to understand.  • Ensuring decisions are made quickly, with clear reasons if denied. • Create a simple, accessible appeals process for those turned down.

Cue sports  in Aotearoa should be games of skill, fairness, and community. When a governing body fails to protect players’ rights, ensure due process, and foster a positive culture, the whole sport suffers. Our players and these sports deserve leadership that upholds integrity, fairness, respect; leadership that wants the best for the sport and celebrates competition among players The NZPA has consistently mishandled disputes, disciplinary matters, and player relationships. Previous board members that have left due to complaints continue to have an unreasonable presence and strong influence over the NZPA.  Players are subjected to unfair suspensions, bans, accusations without evidence, and inconsistent disciplinary processes. Those in positions of power have refused to recognise conflict and have behaved unethically and contrary to the rules they are obliged by. When players ask them to behave ethically and in accordance with the rules, they are targeted and removed from the association or its events. This has harmed the wellbeing of players, undermined trust, impacted the quality and progress of players and damaged the reputation of the sport nationally and internationally.  Complaints include: • Suspensions and bans handed down without transparent processes or clear evidence. • Accusations of bullying, intimidation, and unfair treatment. • Lack of trust and confidence from top players and clubs. • A culture of fear, division, and exclusion rather than support and growth. • There are complaints against NZPA with the appropriate authorities  Instead of protecting and promoting the sport, the current leadership has damaged its credibility. Many excellent players refuse to be part of NZPA; many venues will not host NZPA events and upcoming players are warned against them. This is destroying cue sports within and for our country. By signing, you are sending a clear message that players, clubs, and communities will no longer accept poor governance and unfair treatment. A strong public voice makes it harder for decision-makers to ignore the issues. Your support will help push for change, restore fairness, and give cue sports in Aotearoa, New Zealand the chance to thrive under leadership that players can trust. Together, we can protect the integrity of the game and the mana of those who play it. Te Karere Denied the opportunity to represent her country   NZ Herald Denise Wilkinson's  suspension NZ Herald Turmoil in NZ's pool community

We want a New Zealand where families of people in custody can stay connected safely, without fear, and where tamariki (children) continue to have meaningful contact with their parents. A world where incarceration does not unnecessarily harm children or whānau, and where rehabilitation is supported by strong family bonds. Currently, families often must provide their personal residential addresses to maintain contact with loved ones in prison. This creates significant safety and privacy risks, especially for caregivers and children. Many families are reluctant to communicate regularly because of these risks, leaving children isolated from their parent, and weakening family support structures that are proven to help reduce reoffending. This situation disproportionately affects vulnerable families, creating inequity and stress. For children, inconsistent or unsafe contact with a parent can have lasting emotional and social impacts, including anxiety, disrupted attachment, and increased risk of poor outcomes in education and wellbeing. Research consistently shows that maintaining strong family connections during incarceration: • Reduces recidivism: children and families can be a protective factor supporting rehabilitation.[1] • Supports tamariki wellbeing: consistent contact with a parent fosters emotional stability and resilience.[2,3] • Promotes fairness and equity: no family should have to risk safety to stay in touch. Currently, the lack of a secure, monitored communication platform prevents New Zealand from realizing these benefits. Families must choose between safety and contact, an impossible choice that can harm both parent and child. Implementing a secure electronic communication system: • Allows families to communicate safely without sharing private addresses. • Provides a child-focused option, letting tamariki exchange messages, drawings, or school updates safely. • Supports rehabilitation for people in custody by strengthening family bonds. • Reduces stress and safety risks for caregivers, improving overall family wellbeing. This issue needs to be addressed NOW because children are currently missing out on consistent contact with their parents, and families continue to face unnecessary risk. Modern secure communication systems exist internationally and could be adapted for Aotearoa, making this solution both feasible and timely.[4] References & Supporting Facts: [1] Reducing Re-offending (Corrections NZ): https://www.corrections.govt.nz/resources/strategic_reports/corrections_strategic_plans/creating_lasting_change_2011_-_2016_YR3/reducing_re-offending  [2] Murray, J., & Murray, L. (2010). Parental incarceration, attachment and child outcomes.https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14751790903416889  [3] Bowlby, J. (1988). A Secure Base: Parent-Child Attachment and Healthy Human Development.https://www.increaseproject.eu/images/DOWNLOADS/IO2/HU/CURR_M4-A13_Bowlby_(EN-only)_20170920_HU_final.pdf  [4]Secure Video Calls with Prisoners - GOV.UK: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/visit-a-prisoner-using-a-video-call 

“"Commit to replacing “inclusion” with “access” that day 3 December, maybe it sticks, maybe it doesn't. Maybe it's the first step in a more equitable and accessible Aotearoa for all" ” WHY you should: Access is a Right, not an Invite. That's why! 3 December 2025 is International Day of Persons with Disabilities and is the perfect moment to flip the script, start with words, and build the access-first Aotearoa we all deserve.  Words shape worlds. Some word history for you! Did you know “Inclusion” comes from Latin - IN = "Into, to add to" and CLUDERE meaning “to shut in, or close off”? Put it together = INCLUDERE, or these days INCLUDE = "Invited or added in to something closed off to you."  So from the very start, it’s been about taking something outside and bringing it inside.  Being invited in, added in, let in to spaces controlled by others.  That’s not equity.  Access comes from ACCESSUS “to enter or pass through without barrier.”  By right. Not invite.  We know this is a tough shift for you. You've grown up with "inclusion" as the go-to word.  Inclusion is soft. Access is hard.  But worth it! Try it, witness the difference. Think of it like this:  “Inclusion is margarine. Access is the real butter! ” WHY Access?   In a world where Access is the start point, not the add-on, people with lived experience of disability live lives of substance, not subsistence. Every space we enter - physical, digital, cultural, and political - is designed from the ground up to be barrier-free, with disabled people leading the decisions that affect our daily lives.  In this space, Access isn’t an afterthought, a workaround. It’s built-in. To our homes, schools, workplaces, marae, churches, theatres, cities, towns and suburbs. Access creates a world where we are Diversity, not Deficit. With dignity, not just diagnosis. Where we are experts on our own lives, not exceptions to be managed.  Where we inhabit time and s p a c e with equity, not as invitees to environments not made for us. Where people are recognised not by labels you place on us, but our identities. Where our unique ways of navigating life are rich with fresh perspectives and added-value.  A world where communities thrive because dignity, respect, and justice aren’t lofty ideals hoped for by generations of lived experience, they’re everyday practice. This isn’t a dream, it’s the Aotearoa for all that we can create when we put Access first.   “Disability doesn't discriminate - our places, spaces and society does.   Every age, gender, culture, and orientation is represented in disability. Every.   We are human beings, here now, not waiting for you to "include us."  ”   The big ACCESS ask - SIGN THIS PETITION, shift the mindset - will you answer the call?   On 3 Dec 2025 International Day of Persons with Disabilities – we’re asking Aotearoa to give it a try, swap “Inclusion” for “Access.”  “When we say “inclusion,” exclusion still wins. If you can be “included,” it means you've already been excluded.  Access, once embedded, cannot be denied.  ” Let's be clear. This isn’t just about ramps and captions. Access is multi-dimensional. It's physical, cultural, emotional, financial, spiritual, intellectual, collective, and individual.  Swapping “inclusion” for “access” is more than a language fix. It reframes disability not as a problem to accommodate, but as a matter of rights and design. It tells decision-makers that disabled and marginalised people aren’t guests waiting for an invite, we’re already here.  Access vs. Inclusion - so what's the difference?  For example, 8-10 performances season of a Royal NZ show might have 2x Sign language interpreted performances and 1x audio described performance + wheelchair seating for no more than 4 people per performance = that’s Inclusion. The same season with ALL performances NZSL interpreted and audio described and a venue that can adjust its seating configuration to adjust for wheelchair users = Access.  That's the vision. Where disabled people self-determine need and are leaders of the decisions affecting them. Not just the recipients of plans that weren't built for them or invited as a tick-box afterthought.  Inclusion is soft,  and on someone else's terms, there are gatekeepers who 'let' you in, 'invite' you in. Access is hard, but it means you actively make the effort to build the places, spaces and societies for all from the very start, not accommodate after by invite only.   “Inclusion is soft, almost easy, and on someone else's terms, there are decision makers, gatekeepers who 'let' you in, add you in, 'invite' you in.  Access is hard, but it means you actively make the effort to build the places, spaces and societies for all from the very start, not accommodate after by invite only.  ” On 3 December 2025, use Access instead of Inclusion in all official communications, policies, and public events. If you have inclusion in your role title, policies, swap it out for access and witness the shift that happens.   “As we've said, maybe it sticks, maybe it doesn't. Maybe it's the first step in a more equitable and accessible Aotearoa for all.  ”   We say yes to access - every day.   YOU can do it. Even if it's just for one day. Just like these artists and allies here at this link: Yes to Access.  This campaign is disability-led, conceived over two years by disabled artists, researchers and creators with Touch Compass, and supported by allies across Aotearoa.  ✊🏽 Words shape worlds. Swap the word. Shift the mindset. Sign the petition. Share it!  #YesToAccessNZ 

Since October 2023 the world has witnessed the state of Israel perpetrate innumerable war crimes and human rights violations against the people of Gaza [1], while the violence, repression, and forced displacement of Palestinians in the West Bank and East Jerusalem has escalated [2]. But this violent oppression has been the modus operandi of the decades-long Israeli occupation. The International Court of Justice [3] along with international human rights organisations [4] have repeatedly laid bare the Israeli occupation’s systematic breaches of international law, discriminatory apartheid regime, and abuses of Palestinian human rights. People of conscience in Aotearoa New Zealand have been steadfast in their opposition to Israel’s disregard of fundamental human rights of Palestinians, international legal frameworks and institutions. Across the country we have been standing up for our common humanity and to maintain the integrity of the international law that is meant to keep us all safe. The time of impunity for Israel's occupation and unlawful and dehumanising behaviour must end. We demand that the New Zealand Government impose economic, diplomatic and military sanctions on Israel as a concrete consequence for its breaches of international law and human rights violations.  What action can New Zealand take to stand firmly for justice for Palestine? Just as Russia was swiftly and firmly sanctioned for its unlawful invasion and occupation of Ukraine, sanctions should be applied against Israel for its unlawful occupation of Palestine and its innumerable  breaches of international law and human rights violations. We believe that sanctions are a just, meaningful and non-violent way for New Zealand to: • stand up for the human rights of Palestinians and all people currently suffering under Israel's illegal occupation and apartheid regime; • take concrete legislative action to back up our statements and the UN Resolutions we have supported to advance justice and peace in Palestine and Israel [5]; • comply with our obligations under international law and commitments under international humanitarian law; and • contribute to maintaining the integrity of the rules-based international order and uphold an independent and moral foreign policy. Standing up for the fundamental human rights of Palestinians is a matter of conscience. By delivering concrete consequences to Israel for its actions, our Government can uphold Aotearoa New Zealand’s commitment to the human rights and dignity of all people, adhere to our responsibilities at international law, and stand on the right side of history.  We call on the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs to show moral courage and impose sanctions on Israel without delay and until it complies with its obligations under international law. With integrity to the ethical, non-violent and anti-racist principles of the Palestinian-led BDS Movement, the campaign for sanctions against the Israeli occupation of Palestine seeks to ground these principles in the context of Aotearoa. Alongside rejecting all forms of racism including anti-semitism and Islamophobia, a kaupapa which opposes settler colonialism abroad must respect the authority of mana whenua in our respective rohe. Working alongside iwi Māori to honour, defend and advance Te Tiriti o Waitangi is critical to opposing the colonisation of Palestine.   The campaign for sanctions is the collective effort of the Palestinian solidarity movement of Aotearoa. References [1] https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/10/un-commission-finds-war-crimes-and-crimes-against-humanity-israeli-attacks; https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/06/1164496  [2] https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/01/1159411;  [3] Legal Consequences Arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem (Advisory Opinion) [2024]. [4] Report of the Special Rapporteur on the Situation of Human Rights in the Palestinian Territories Occupied Since 1967 (A/HRC/49/87); Amnesty International Israel’s Apartheid Against Palestinians (2002); B’Tselem A regime of Jewish supremacy from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean Sea: This is apartheid (2021); Human Rights Watch A Threshold Crossed Israeli Authorities and the Crimes of Apartheid and Persecution (2021) [5]  In September 2024 New Zealand joined 123 other United Nations member states in supporting the United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-10/24, which affirmed the International Court of Justice’s advisory opinion that Israel’s presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories (OPT) was unlawful. New Zealand was also the co-sponsor of UNSC Resolution 2334 which affirmed the Israeli settlements in the OPT were unlawful.

West Auckland should be a place where everyone has a decent, healthy, stable and suitable home, in a community where children can grow up in their local schools and where people can put down roots near the services they need to thrive.   But right now, people in our community are experiencing high rents, homelessness, overcrowding and substandard housing. This is having an impact on people's long-term wellbeing and the wellbeing of our communities.  Successive governments have not done enough to make sure everyone in our community has suitable housing. Now, the current Coalition Government has cancelled hundreds of Kāinga Ora homes, is selling off state housing and making it less available to people in our community.  In the West Auckland area we have: • 1,161 households on the Housing Register in (June 2025) • 7,524 people experiencing Severe Housing Deprivation (homelessness) at the time of Census 2023. This is likely to have grown since the Emergency Housing rules have put up barriers to access temporary shelter. • And still, the Government has decided to cancel 12 Kāinga Ora developments that would have provided 425 decent and stable homes to people in our communities. • Some of these cancelled developments are on land that once had state housing and families living there, forced out on the promise of more homes and a right to return back to their communities. Some of these cancelled developments are on land Kāinga Ora purchased to make way for much needed homes close to train stations, parks and local amenities. State housing is a key solution to the housing crisis facing people living in West Auckland. It is the key way governments ensure people and whānau, no matter their income, age or stage in life, have a place to call home. By cancelling state housing, more people and families will be forced into unaffordable private rentals, unsuitable boarding houses and onto the streets. It also means that land will be privatised that could otherwise be returned to hapū and iwi for Māori housing solutions. We are calling on our local MPs to advocate for state housing in our community - to stop state housing land being sold off to investors and developers, and to ensure everyone in West Auckland has decent and stable housing.  Cancelled Kāinga Ora developments: • Beauchamp Dr & Reverie Pl, Massey - 65 homes  • Totara Ave, New Lynn - 84 homes  • Elm St & Racecourse Parade, Avondale - 139 homes • Vallance Pl, Massey - 13 homes  • Cedar Heights Ave, Massey - 8 homes  • Tabitha Cres, Henderson - 4 homes  • Sachel Pl, Rānui - 3 homes (sold) • MacKenzie St, Te Atatū South - 3 homes  • Te Atatū Rd - 3 homes  • Valonia St, New Windsor - 3 homes  • Ulster St, Blockhouse Bay - 32 homes  • Marlowe Rd & Bolton St - 68 homes

There has been little genuine consultation with schools, whānau, or iwi about what is a major change to what and how we assess. Any changes of this scale needs to be informed by the diverse communities that our education system serves. NCEA is not perfect - but it has proven strengths, flexibility, and the ability to serve all learners across diverse pathways, whether academic, vocational, or community-based. Instead of scrapping it, we call on the Government to work alongside educators, students, whānau, and industry to strengthen NCEA through curriculum alignment, a standards review, and genuine co-design.  Replacing NCEA risks: • Disadvantaging Māori, Pasifika, neurodivergent learners, migrants, second language learners, and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. This has been cited in cabinet papers about the proposal as a likely outcome if NCEA is replaced.  • Narrowing subject choice, creative course design and limiting pathways for students, whether they are university-bound or not, the proposed changes fail to recognise the benefit of a wide range of subjects and assessment opportunities designed to meet the needs and interests of a wide range of learners.  • Reverting to an increased focus on external assessment and exams will have an impact on flexible course design and may negatively impact student wellbeing. We must retain flexibility about how we assess our young people.  • A shift to letter grades and percentages which is a regression to outdated, hierarchical models that will likely lead to scaling, bell curves and league tables.    • More young people will leave school without a meaningful formal qualification. Retaining Level One NCEA as an optional certificate ensures we can meet the needs of more learners.  We believe New Zealand needs an inclusive, future-focused qualification system that values all learners because that is how we build a connected, productive, and ambitious society. That system is NCEA – and it can be strengthened. Replacing it puts all those things at risk. Together, let’s protect NCEA and ensure our qualification system continues to serve every learner in Aotearoa. Please sign this petition so we can make sure NCEA remains and that we focus on strengthening rather than scrapping our national assessment framework. 📢 We also encourage you to have your say by completing the official consultation survey before 15 September 2025: https://www.education.govt.nz/consultation-ncea About Aotearoa Educators Collective Aotearoa Educators Collective is an umbrella collective created to support education thought leaders who share a common interest in promoting progressive ideals in education.  The group includes academics, principals and teachers and is not aligned to any political party. https://www.aec.org.nz/ 

With the repealing and replacing of the Mental Health Act currently taking place, now is the time to get this important issue in front of decision makers to ensure provisions are in place in the new legislation to ensure better outcomes for mothers who suffer from a perinatal mental illness. ⚠️ The Issues: • Capability of perinatal mental health services. Currently, there is a significant shortage of resources, leading to a reactive, crisis-driven approach where individuals often only receive help when they are in urgent need, much like an 'ambulance at the bottom of the cliff' response. This results in many not getting the proactive and voluntary care they require until it's too late, and thus results in compulsory treatment orders, or worst case scenario, tragic outcomes.  • Lack of Specialised Care: Current mental health services are insufficiently equipped to support postpartum women, particularly in general psychiatric wards that fail to address the specific needs of mothers. • Trauma of Separation: The separation of mothers from their newborn babies during such a vulnerable time is profoundly damaging to both the mother and the child, exacerbating mental health struggles and hindering recovery. • Need for Accessible Mother and Baby Units: There is an urgent need for mother and baby units that are accessible to all women (including in the regional areas) that would allow mothers experiencing postpartum mental illness to receive the care they need while remaining with their infants, promoting healing and the vital mother-child bond. 💬 Why is this issue important to me?  In 2022, after a complicated pregnancy and birth, I unfortunately developed an acute postpartum mental illness. Despite seeking help voluntarily (which included a declined referral to Maternal Mental Health whilst pregnant, requests for support while becoming unwell in hospital postpartum, and two subsequent visits to the Emergency Department where I was sent home), I was eventually sectioned under the Mental Health Act (1992), and separated from my son just three weeks postpartum. I was placed in the general psychiatric ward in Tauranga, a space that was terrifying, unsafe, and not suitable for a new mother experiencing a postpartum mental illness and recovering from childbirth. The experience left me traumatised, with symptoms of PTSD and severe depression for the first two years of my son’s life. Through my advocacy, I’ve since learned that many others have faced similar trauma due to systemic gaps in perinatal mental healthcare. The lack of specialised support has long-lasting impacts, not only on the mother and baby, but also fathers, and the wider whānau. In 2023, around the time of my son’s first birthday, I wrote to the hospital and public health services to genuinely engage about the issues I faced and suggest areas for improvement. My concerns were dismissed. This led to a decline in my mental health and forced me to step back. But in 2024, I read about the Mental Health Bill (the legislative reform of our Mental Health Act) in the Mental Health Foundation’s newsletter – and decided that this was the right time to speak out, while the issue was on the agenda for decision-makers. I made a written submission on the Mental Health Bill in December 2024, and delivered an oral submission to the Health Committee in February 2025. In May, I started an advocacy page on Instagram called @actionformamas. This is where I raise awareness and share content to help break the stigma of perinatal mental illness, including postpartum psychosis, which is a terrifying yet highly treatable perinatal mental illness that carries a lot of stigma and shame. This illness is what I experienced after the birth of my son.  ✅ The Solutions • Provide proactive, compassionate, culturally appropriate, and specialist care for women who experience severe perinatal mental illness • Prevent traumatic separations, supporting recovery and bonding between māmā and pēpi • Ensure appropriate and sufficient services are in place to improve mental health outcomes for whānau across Aotearoa  By improving perinatal mental health services and funding dedicated mother and baby units, we can ensure that no mother is forced to endure the traumatic separation from their newborn or face inadequate care in a general psychiatric ward. This is essential for the well-being of both mothers and their babies, and it is a necessary step in improving mental health care for all New Zealanders. ✍️ Add your name to support this change. Together, we can stop the trauma and start healing. No māmā should be left behind.

To value our teachers, we must first understand the immense scope of their role. Every day, they are so much more than just educators. They are: • Mentors and Role Models, guiding students through critical stages of their personal and academic development. • Counsellors and Mental Health First Responders, providing a safe space and crucial support for students facing anxiety, stress, and hardship. • Innovators, constantly adapting their teaching methods to cater to diverse learning needs, including those of students with disabilities and learning challenges. • Mediators, skillfully resolving conflicts and teaching students vital social and emotional skills. • Community Liaisons, bridging the gap between school and home, and working closely with whānau to support student success. • Administrators, managing extensive record-keeping, assessment, and reporting requirements, often outside of teaching hours. This immense emotional and administrative labour is performed on top of their core responsibility: to plan and deliver a world-class education. Why Teachers are Essential for Future Generations: Well-supported, fairly compensated, and respected teachers are the foundation of a thriving society. They are directly responsible for cultivating the skills and values our country will need to succeed in the 21st century. • They build a skilled workforce, preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow and driving our economic growth. • They foster critical thinkers and engaged citizens, which are essential for a healthy and robust democracy. • They nurture resilient and empathetic individuals, creating stronger, safer, and more connected communities. When we support our teachers, we are supporting our children and paving the way for a better future for Aotearoa.  Please sign and share this petition, together, we can make a difference and ensure better working conditions for our teachers and school staff.

Outdoor Education gives young people opportunities they can’t always get in a classroom. It builds resilience, confidence, leadership, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. It keeps students engaged in school, especially those who struggle in traditional settings, and connects them with Aotearoa’s unique environment, culture, and outdoor heritage. These are life skills that benefit every student, no matter their future pathway. But the Ministry of Education has indicated that Outdoor Education will not be on the new subject list of senior subjects. This means it won’t be recognised as a general subject and will have no Ministry-developed curriculum, assessments, or resources. Instead, it would be reduced to a narrow vocational option, controlled by a national skills body that has not yet been established. Schools would lose the flexibility to design courses that reflect their local environment and community, and some may stop offering Outdoor Education altogether. Losing recognition at this level strips Outdoor Education of its academic value, limits what schools can offer, and removes a subject that not only supports careers in tourism, recreation, and conservation but also grows the confidence and well-being of our young people. The NCEA proposed changes are open for submissions until the 15th September, so we are working to a short deadline. Please sign this petition so we can make sure Outdoor Education remains a valued subject that changes lives and strengthens our future.

Education is essential to our community’s future. Everyone who wants to increase knowledge and skills should have the opportunity to learn. NorthTec isn't just a campus, this is the heart of our region, upskilling in tertiary and vocational education in Te Tai Tokerau. NorthTec is Under Threat - Te Tai Tokerau Needs Your Voice! NorthTec was built to serve our people, but now our future is on the line. If proposed cuts go ahead, we risk losing: • Teachers/Kaiako - the heart of our classrooms • Librarians - keeping knowledge alive • The Student Café - a hub for connection   • Student Voice - silencing the voices of ākonga • Student Support Services - academic and pastoral • Disability + Health Services  • Administration and support services (ICT, Marketing, Enrollments, Registrar, Business) • Academic Programmes - admin coordination are the heart of front line delivery • Regional Campuses must stay open with support services • International Students  These proposed cuts will isolate learners, strip away support and threaten the mana of vocational education in Te Tai Tokerau. Sign now, share this amongst whanau and friends and stand with us here at NorthTec/Te Pūkenga. Your signature adds strength to our movement, join us.