Protect Te Tiriti o Waitangi and Honour the Findings: Act on Wai 3553

In September and October 2026, the Waitangi Tribunal released two reports from the Wai 3553 urgent inquiry into the Crown's national curriculum reforms and the removal of school boards' explicit statutory obligation to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The findings confirm serious concerns raised by Māori, educators, whānau and communities about the direction of education reform in Aotearoa New Zealand.

Across both reports, the Tribunal found that the Crown breached the Treaty principles of partnership, active protection, equity and good government.

The September report found that the Crown failed to meaningfully engage Māori in national curriculum development, abandoned important aspects of the earlier collaborative approach, and proceeded without sufficient evidence that its preferred knowledge-rich curriculum would improve equitable outcomes for Māori learners.

The Tribunal also found that the reforms reduced the emphasis on te reo Māori, tikanga Māori and mātauranga Māori, weakening opportunities for these to be meaningfully recognised, taught and transmitted through education. The October report examined the removal of section 127(1)(d) of the Education and Training Act 2020, which required school boards to ensure schools give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

The Tribunal found that the Crown removed this obligation without meaningful engagement with Māori and replaced it with weaker statutory protections for Māori language, knowledge and educational equity. The changes also created unnecessary uncertainty about school boards' continuing Te Tiriti responsibilities and increased the risk that the Crown's obligations would not be fulfilled in everyday schooling.

The Tribunal specifically recommended that the Crown formally apologise to Māori and reinstate section 127(1)(d) in its entirety, working with Māori to preserve its full substance and effect.Importantly, the Tribunal identified serious prejudice arising from these breaches, including damage to the Māori–Crown relationship, diminished trust in government education decision-making, weakened protection of Māori educational interests, and the undermining of Māori authority. It also recognised the diminished mana of iwi and hapū who had invested their knowledge, time and relationships in education.

Education shapes how young people understand themselves, their histories, their relationships with others and their responsibilities to the country they call home. Te Tiriti o Waitangi is not simply a historical document. It establishes enduring obligations that must be honoured in the institutions, policies and decisions that shape our society.

A genuinely Te Tiriti-centred education system requires more than the inclusion of Māori words, concepts or cultural content. It requires meaningful partnership, recognition of Māori authority, protection of Māori language and knowledge, and sustained commitment to addressing longstanding educational inequities. Māori educators, whānau, hapū and iwi have worked for generations to address these inequities and create educational environments where tamariki Māori can succeed as Māori. The progress achieved has been hard-won, and much work remains. The Tribunal's findings reinforce the Crown's responsibility to protect that progress, restore genuine partnership and ensure that education reform honours Māori rights and aspirations.

Together we can hold the  Government  accountable for its actions and demonstrate that our communities across Aotearoa believe in honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi within the Education sector. Trust cannot be demanded. It must be earned. Confidence cannot be assumed. It must be restored.