Waitangi Tribunal Urges Reset of Māori Education Reforms and Return to Partnership

The Waitangi Tribunal has called on the Crown to reset its approach to education reforms and return to a genuine partnership with Māori in a landmark report released on 18 September 2026. The report, Hūtia te Rito o te Harakeke, kei Hea te Kōmako e Kō?, found that recent national curriculum reforms breached multiple Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles, including partnership, active protection, equity, and good government. The findings highlighted the vital importance of protecting te reo Māori, tikanga, and mātauranga Māori within the national system. According to reports from Waatea News, the Tribunal concluded that the Crown’s move toward a 'knowledge-rich' curriculum redesign involved inadequate engagement with Māori. The process failed to sufficiently account for the aspirations of whānau, hapū, and iwi regarding tamariki and uri in Māori-medium and kaupapa Māori education. The Tribunal expressed specific concern that the Crown did not robustly assess if its chosen 'science of learning' philosophy was appropriate for Māori learners or Aotearoa as a whole. Such omissions, the findings suggest, sent a message that Māori knowledge systems were of lesser importance and caused prejudice to the Māori-Crown relationship. The Tribunal also noted that successful, existing Māori education models were not given adequate consideration during the reform process. In a move toward restoration, it recommends that the Crown recommit to working alongside Māori to design curriculum specifically through Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. This ensures that kaupapa Māori education remains authentically indigenous and reflects the mana of the communities it serves. The report emphasizes that if the education system is to be redesigned for ākonga Māori, then Māori must be central to that design process. Green Party MP Hūhana Lyndon, who holds the portfolios for Māori Education and Māori Development, stated the findings provide a framework for reinforcing the mana of iwi and hapū within the sector. Lyndon noted that these debates address a fundamental question of whether government policy is effectively addressing the root causes of disadvantage for whānau. The Tribunal’s recommendation seeks to ensure that Māori knowledge systems are prioritized and protected for future generations by returning to the principle of genuine partnership.