Education Minister points to rising Māori NCEA achievement amid Waitangi Tribunal curriculum review

Education Minister Erica Stanford has highlighted recent gains in Māori student achievement following a pre-publication report from the Waitangi Tribunal regarding the national curriculum and NCEA overhaul. Speaking in response to the Tribunal's findings on Tuesday, September 22, 2026, Minister Stanford noted that recent data shows a positive shift in educational outcomes for Māori learners. Official figures provided to Te Ao Māori News indicate the proportion of Māori school leavers attaining NCEA Level 2 or above rose to 63.3 percent in 2025, up from 60.4 percent in 2022. Furthermore, attainment at Level 3 or above reached 41.4 percent last year, representing a 3.5 percentage point increase since 2021. Minister Stanford stated she was pleased to see a shift in the right direction and remains committed to lifting achievement further through ongoing consultation with Māori and education experts. The Minister’s comments follow a Waitangi Tribunal inquiry which identified breaches of Treaty principles—specifically partnership, active protection, equity, and good government—during the design and implementation of the curriculum changes. The Tribunal cited concerns over a lack of meaningful engagement with Māori regarding the draft curriculum and a sidelining of indigenous frameworks like Te Tīrewa Marautanga. NZEI Te Riu Roa President Ripeka Lessels, whose union acted as a primary legal claimant alongside Ngāti Hine and Te Kapotai hapū, supported the Tribunal's findings. However, Minister Stanford maintained the reforms are balanced, noting that nearly 100 Māori academics were consulted to shape the policy. She emphasised that the Tribunal’s review was based on an early draft and that Treaty obligations were considered throughout the update process.