Critical Race Theory Coming to NZ Schools as per Te Tiriti o Waitangi?

December 19, 2022

Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti said there were equity issues that need to be addressed, but she warns it will take time.

“We have a larger number of Pasifika and Māori students who are in lower decile schools and we’ve already acknowledged as a system that we need to do something around biases that may exist within the system, again that’s going to take a wee while to uncover that completely,” Tinetti said.

The Ministry of Education is hoping its new initiative Te Hurihanganui will help.

It teaches about white privilege and the racism and the inequity Māori face.

But it’s only a pilot in six communities so far, with the aim to help teachers understand what they need to change and why.

The national coordinator of Te Akatea, the Principal’s Association, Therese Ford-Cartwright, said it’s crucial for teachers to understand the inequities that can trigger the behaviour that results in students being stood down.

“There’s a lot of evidence around this. They struggle to see themselves and be themselves within those contexts and that creates dissonance which often manifests itself in negative behaviour which often leads to stand-downs and suspensions,” Ford-Cartwright said.

She wants a Te Tiriti o Waitangi-based curriculum introduced.