TE URU KARAKA STANDS FIRM ON TE TIRITI COMMITMENT AS GOVERNMENT ROLLBACK DIVIDES SCHOOLS

Te Uru Karaka at Newton Central School has declared its commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi non-negotiable, refusing to abandon its Treaty-centred educational approach despite the Government's decision to roll back Te Tiriti obligations across New Zealand schools.

When the Government repealed mandatory Te Tiriti responsibilities, Education Minister Erica Stanford informed schools they could choose their own path forward. Te Uru Karaka has chosen to maintain its constitutional focus on the Treaty, with its entire educational framework built around the Treaty's principles and Māori perspectives woven throughout the curriculum.

Principal Bryan Rehutai, of Ngāti Porou and Tahiti descent, explained the school's reasoning for maintaining the Te Tiriti approach. He described how acknowledging Te Tiriti creates a family-like learning environment where students feel their identity is valued, which translates into improved educational outcomes. Rehutai warned that removing Te Tiriti from school operations would only widen existing inequity gaps for Māori students, as concepts and practices uniquely rooted in Māori identity would disappear from educational spaces. He argued that the Government's view of Te Tiriti obligations as barriers to student learning fundamentally misunderstands the relationship between honouring the Treaty and creating supportive learning environments.

Student Maia Taare of Te Uru Karaka expressed concern about abandoning Te Tiriti learning, describing the Treaty as a foundational document of peace central to her education.

The school's commitment reflects broader resistance across New Zealand's education sector. Lawyer Tania Waikato, of Ngāti Awa, Tūhoe, Ngāti Tuwharetoa, Ngāti Hine, and Te Whakatōhea descent, created Te Rāranga Rangatira, a public registry of schools pledging to uphold Te Tiriti. The initiative rapidly gained support, with more than 1,700 schools nationwide—approximately 70 percent of all schools—signing the commitment.

The Government's position shifted once the scale of school participation became apparent. Education Minister Erica Stanford publicly characterised the registry as a "disgusting" list that pressured schools into conforming to a Te Tiriti agenda. Despite repeated requests, Stanford declined to be interviewed for this story, instead referring to previous media statements.

Waikato rejected the Government's framing, emphasising that schools are voluntarily recognising Te Tiriti as New Zealand's constitutional foundation and that the Government's suggestion to discard this responsibility represents a significant backward step for the nation.

At Te Uru Karaka, the community has shown no resistance to the school's stance. Principal Rehutai confirmed the school's whānau understand the Treaty commitment is core to the school's identity and have provided consistent support for maintaining the approach.

As the Te Rāranga Rangatira registry continues to grow and schools across the country reaffirm their commitment to Te Tiriti, the tension between governmental political decisions and educational values remains clear. For Te Uru Karaka, honouring Te Tiriti is not subject to political pressure or Government directive.