We are investing in kaupapa M\u0101ori and M\u0101ori-medium education<\/a>, strengthening Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (the national curriculum for M\u0101ori-medium education), and supporting te reo M\u0101ori in schools. <\/p>\n The new draft national curriculum now embeds te ao M\u0101ori, language and culture in a way that was missing from the 2007 version.<\/p>\n After decades of decline, the tide is turning. The gap between M\u0101ori and non-M\u0101ori achievement<\/a> is finally narrowing, and that gives us every reason to be optimistic about the future. <\/p>\n But there is more to do. That\u2019s why we\u2019re progressing legislation that amends school board objectives with a sharpened focus on achievement, attendance, assessment and what is being taught through the refreshed curriculum.<\/p>\n There is a Treaty of Waitangi duty <\/a>on the Crown in relation to education set out in the Education and Training Act. It is a core responsibility of the Crown to deliver better outcomes for M\u0101ori learners and support M\u0101ori education success. That\u2019s exactly what we\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n In 2020, the previous Government amended the Education Act to delegate the Crown\u2019s Treaty duty to school boards, asking them to \u201cgive effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi\u201d. <\/p>\n This meant parents who are effectively volunteers, already responsible for the governance of their local school, were suddenly expected to interpret and implement a Treaty obligation that rightfully sits with the Crown.<\/p>\n This change made no difference to raising the achievement of tamariki M\u0101ori. Boards lost focus on their core responsibilities: achievement, attendance, keeping young people safe at school, and ensuring they\u2019re learning. <\/p>\n Results continued to decline.<\/p>\n The Government\u2019s recent Treaty References Review questions whether it was appropriate for school boards to be held accountable for meeting the Crown\u2019s obligations under the Treaty. The Government does not believe it\u2019s fair and reasonable to pass this duty on to parents and volunteers. The Crown, not parent volunteers, must be accountable for it.<\/p>\n That is why we are clarifying the role of school boards. Educational achievement will be their paramount objective, with a sharper focus on attendance and the way we monitor student progress and success. We also want boards to have clear expectations about their role in supporting equitable outcomes for tamariki M\u0101ori.<\/p>\n To this end we are undoing the 2020 change and making it clear what school boards need to do:<\/p>\n 1. Seek to achieve equitable outcomes for M\u0101ori students.<\/p>\n Take all reasonable steps to provide for teaching and learning in te reo M\u0101ori to students whose parents and caregivers request it.Take reasonable steps to ensure that the policies and practices for its school reflect New Zealand\u2019s cultural diversity.<\/a><\/p>\n This means schools and school boards will continue to be able to reflect te ao M\u0101ori values and customs in ways that are meaningful to their own communities.<\/p>\n School boards play an important role in raising achievement. But they cannot and should not carry the Crown\u2019s constitutional obligations under the Treaty. <\/p>\n Their focus should be on the practical things that make a difference for students: ensuring children are turning up to school, progressing in their learning, and succeeding.<\/p>\n Real change does not come from rhetoric. It comes from doing the work that lifts children\u2019s learning, strengthens teaching, and delivers better outcomes in every classroom. <\/p>\n For M\u0101ori students, that means the Crown meeting its Treaty obligations through results.<\/p>\n By keeping school boards focused on the actions that drive achievement, and by holding the Crown accountable for the duties it rightly holds, we can ensure that every child has the opportunity to succeed, to thrive, and to reach their full potential. <\/p>\nEducation Minister Erica Stanford. Photo \/ Mark Mitchell<\/p>\n
The new policy restores Treaty obligations to the Crown rather than local boards. Photo \/ Mark Mitchell<\/p>\n