Māori Educators and Union Stand Together to Protect Te Reo and Mātauranga in Curriculum

Māori education leaders and the nation’s largest education union are calling for a pause on the Government’s school curriculum revamp to ensure the protection of te reo Māori and mātauranga Māori. As reported by Waatea News on Tuesday, 11 August 2026, Te Akatea Māori First Leaders Association and NZEI Te Riu Roa have backed a Waitangi Tribunal direction to defer the release of updated curriculum content until a formal inquiry is completed. The advocacy groups are urging the Crown to wait for the findings of Stage Two of the Tribunal’s urgent inquiry into education reforms. This follows a Stage One report which found that the Crown’s approach to legislative changes breached Treaty principles including partnership and active protection. For Māori educators, the delay is seen as a necessary step to ensure that whānau, hapū, and iwi have a meaningful voice in shaping what tamariki learn in the classroom. Te Akatea emphasized that proceeding before the Tribunal reports would disregard significant concerns raised by tangata whenua regarding the direction of the reforms. The dispute centers on how Te Tiriti obligations, te reo Māori, and mātauranga Māori are integrated into the national curriculum. Educators argue that these elements are taonga, placing specific obligations on the Crown that require genuine engagement rather than unilateral changes. NZEI Te Riu Roa joined the call for a pause, noting that curriculum changes determine the resources schools need and how learning reflects the identities of the communities they serve. By advocating for a pause, these organizations aim to ensure that achievement for Māori learners remains anchored in identity and culture. The collective stance highlights a commitment to ensuring that the next generation of learners in Aotearoa benefits from a curriculum that is developed through respectful partnership.