Statement By Whānau Manaaki Regarding Te Tiriti o Waitangi 

Whānau Manaaki stands with schools who have rejected the removal by Government of the requirement for school boards to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Aotearoa’s world-leading national early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa has Te Ao Māori, Mātauranga Māori and Tikanga Māori woven through it in ways that encapsulate Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Te Tiriti cannot be separated from the curriculum because it is the essence of the curriculum.

The vision for tamariki as stated in Te Whāriki is that children will grow up "competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body, and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging, and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society”. In the context of Aotearoa, this requires Te Tiriti o Waitangi to be upheld and recognised by all.

To this end, Whānau Manaaki stands with all schools and early childhood centres who wish to uphold our collective responsibility to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.