School is for lessons - not indoctrination

A massive "Education and Training Bill" is currently before Parliament. This radical Bill requires State indoctrination of children and young people in Marxist identity ideology and Maori cultural propaganda, and grants Maori elites undue influence over the education of our children and young people. The new rules seek to impose Maori cultural values on our predominantly non-maori population and transfer power, jobs and funding to Maori academics and iwi elites. In a particularly sinister move, the Bill will allow Chris Hipkins and Kelvin Davis (Minister of Maori-Crown relations) in consultation with Maori to issue a "Statement of Expressions" outlining what education providers (schools, pre-schools, training institutes etc) will be required to do to meet their obligations under Treaty legislation. The creation of these rules by the Minister and the Minister of Crown-Maori relations in consultation with "Maori" (presumably representing the bogus Crown-Maori "Treaty partnership") represents a novel form of "Treaty negotiations", and with the Bill expressly removing Parliamentary powers of oversight: a gross corruption of democratic principles.

Please read further to help us defeat the Bill where it seeks to indoctrinate our children with identity politics and Maori cultural propaganda and to hand undue influence and powers to unelected, unaccountable Maori elites.

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Treaty Indoctrination

The indoctrination plan is outlined in Section 9: Te Tiriti o Waitangi:

Section 9 states that a purpose of our education system is to honour the Treaty of Waitangi and support Maori-Crown relationships. Section 9 will require teachers to teach the lie that the Treaty created a partnership between the Crown and Maori.

Section 5(4)(c) schools must instil in each child the importance of:
(ii) diversity, cultural knowledge, identity, and the different official languages, and
(iii) Te Tiriti o Waitangi and te reo Māori.

Section 5 will require teachers to promote Marxian identity ideology and elevate the significance of Maori language beyond its modern day relevance and, in particular, relevance to non-Maori children. Ironically, the drafters of the Bill don't appear to realise that New Zealand has only two official languages: te reo Maori and New Zealand Sign Language, so the Bill requires teachers to instil in children the importance of te reo Maori and NZ sign language while ignoring English, the world's most widely spoken language and the gateway to jobs in a modern economy.

"Statement of expectations": a massive transfer of power to "Maori"

Section 6 of the Bill will allow the issuing of a "Statement of expectations" drafted jointly by the Minister of Education and the Minister of Maori-Crown Relations in consultation with "Maori". The Statement will be officially gazetted and will specify what education agencies (schools, pre-schools, training institutes etc) "must do to give effect to public service objectives (set out in any enactment) that relate to Te Tiriti o Waitangi". The section expressly mentions that the Statement does not have to be presented to Parliament.

This provision in effect creating backroom "Treaty negotiations" between the government (Chris Hipkins) and Maori (Kelvin Davis and iwi elites) as to what education providers will be required to do to meet their Treaty obligations appears to be part of a movement towards constitutional change by stealth, a sinister corruption of democracy likely to result in a massive transfer of broad powers to "Maori" within the education section. 

It is unknown as to what a "Statement of expectations" might stipulate, soft indoctrination: the adoption and elevation of maori culture and maori religious practices (karakia etc), is already widespread throughout the education sector on a voluntary basis. It is possible that the Statement might set out compulsory curriculum material to be taught in primary and secondary schools including maori language and tikanga, as well as compulsory Maori staffing quotas, perhaps even the separate tuition of Maori children. This is quite possible, as section 122(1)(d) requires School Boards to ensure that school policies and lessons are aimed towards achieving equitable outcomes for Maori students.

While we cannot know what the Statement will contain, the point to note is that unless the Bill is amended, all education providers will be be required to give effect to measures outlined in the Statement without reference to Parliament or the wishes and needs of the wider public: taxpayers, teachers, parents or the students themselves.

School Boards required to push Maori propaganda and religion and achieve "equitable outcomes" for Maori students

Section 122(1)(d) states that a primary objective of School Boards is to ensure that school plans, policies and lessons reflect:

  • local tikanga Maori, matauranga Maori and te Ao Maori; and
  • that schools take all reasonable steps to make lessons available in tikanga Maori and Maori language; and
  • achieving equitable outcomes for Maori students

As such, the Bill requires teachers to indoctrinate children with sanatised Maori lore, Maori religious beliefs (animism) and the so-called "Maori world view". Presumably the stipulation of local tikanga will require school boards, prinicpals and teachers to consult with local Maori elites in matters of school governance and the preparation of lesson plans.

The Bill does not define who is a "Maori" student, or what "equitable outcomes" means, or any way of measuring "equitable outcomes". Presumably, schools will be required to jump through the numerous hoops stipulated in the Statement of Expectations and allocate funding to meet the additional perceived needs of a child due to that child's ancestry rather than treating the child as an individual with individual needs. And while we would all want all children and young people to achieve to the best of their abilities, it is not at all clear why the entire burden for achieving "equitable outcomes" (however interpreted) should be placed at feet of schools, rather than parents.  Nor is it clear why "Maori students" are relegated to belonging to a generic minority "identity", stigmatised and patronised as requiring special attention regardless of their individual skills and unique personality. A better approach might be to encourage Maori (all) parents to instil in their children a love of reading and learning, an appetite for study and encouragement to eschew drugs and alcohol.

Continued segregation of many young Maori from mainstream education

Part 3 Subpart 6 of the Bill provides for the continuing segregation of Maori children and young people from mainstream education though the provision of separate schooling (Kura Kaupapa Maori) at all levels catering almost exclusively to Maori.

It is unclear whether independent research has been conducted to see whether Kura Kaupapa Maori serve the best interests of these children and young people.

Transfer of rights and powers to "Maori"

Section 10(1) the definition of "school community" is broadened beyond the parents and families of school students to include "the Maori community associated with the school". This might be interpreted as a requirement by schools to consult beyond the immediate family of pupils and consult with local iwi.

Click here to see other provisions in the Bill that transfer powers to "Maori" and de facto Maori quotas eg that "Maori" contribute to decision making in Universities and Training providers

Under these provisions, all "Maori" are regarded as belonging to a generic minority "identity".

What you can do:

Probably the best way that we can have the Bill changed is by contacting New Zealand First MPs (and ACT's David Seymour) about how the Training and Education Bill will confer undue rights on Maori to influence the eduction of our children and young people. 

Email or write (Freepost Parliament) to NZ First MPs

urging them to propose amendments to the Bill that would remove all references to the Treaty, as outlined within section 9 of the Training and Education Bill. 

Winston Peters, Darroch BallMark PattersonRon Mark, Shane Jones, Clayton Mitchell, Fletcher Tabuteau and Tracey Martin

David Seymour (ACT)


Submissions on the Bill closed 14 February 2020.

tell our MPs:

  • that our children and young people should be treated as individuals, rather than as a sub-set of a politically constructed identity
  • that we do not want future generations indoctrinated with Treaty propaganda
  • that is is wrong to foist largely irrelevant, sanitised cultural propaganda: tikanga Maori and the so called te Ao Maori (Maori world view), in essence religious teachings, upon a largely non-Maori population
  • that you do not support the granting of powers to unelected, unaccountable iwi elites
  • that school staff should be employed solely on the basis of competence

which is why the Education and Training Bill must be amended to remove all race based preference as outlined within section 9 of the Bill