Category: Public Media

Source: Radio New Zealand

Dr Alex Barnes, a Pākehā father who grew up in the kōhanga reo and kura kaupapa movement, says proposed changes to the Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories curriculum risks “leaving our past to chance”.

The government released the full draft of the curriculum for year 0-10 students in October with Education Minister Erica Stanford calling it another significant step toward delivering a world-leading system for every learner.

ACT Party leader and Associate Education Minister David Seymour also celebrated the draft curriculum, saying the proposed social sciences changes would “restore balance” and remove political bias.

The Ministry of Education said the new curriculum still reflected Te Tiriti o Waitangi and te ao Māori principles, while giving students broader opportunities to learn about global history.

However, the proposed changes – particularly to the social sciences curriculum, which dropped Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories and added more international topics – has faced backlash from educators as being “dishonest”, “regressive” and “not an honest reflection of our past”.

The changes are part of a growing wave of criticism of the government’s approach to Māori language, culture, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi in schools. On Tuesday, the government announced it would remove schools’ legal obligation to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, a move that has again alarmed educators and Māori leaders.

Barnes, who has studied how the Aotearoa NZ’s Histories curriculum was implemented and its impact agreed with the critics, and was concerned about the government’s plan to fold the histories curriculum into the wider social sciences framework, rather than keeping it as its own subject.

“Integrating it dilutes its power,” he said.

“It weakens its importance and leaves it to chance whether our histories are taught accurately or prominently.”

He told RNZ that approach risked undoing the progress made over the past year.

“That effectively removes it as a key part of our education system.

“People want accurate history. Māori and non-Māori. They’ve been saying for years, ‘I didn’t learn this at school.'”

Barnes has spent over 20 years in education and adult learning, and completed a PhD on te Tiriti-based co-governance education in Aotearoa.

He was also one of the kairangahau (researchers) at the New Zealand Council for Educational Research, studying how the Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories curriculum was implemented, and found it helped schools connect learning to local places and stories.

“Teachers and principals saw the histories curriculum as a chance to deepen understanding of whakapapa, place, and identity,” he said.

“It gave schools a framework to connect students to their own stories while recognising how local and global histories intersect.”

Barnes is also a graduate of the early kaupapa Māori education movement and now works in Māori health and wellbeing research. He said learning Māori histories from a young age shaped his sense of connection to the whenua and people of Tauranga.

“I grew up with local pūrākau, stories from hapū and iwi about the origins of the whenua and the waka there. It gave me a deep sense of identity and belonging,” he said.

“The fact that I was Pākehā didn’t really matter. I was part of the whānau.”

He said that same sense of belonging is what the Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories curriculum offers tamariki when it’s taught well.

“There’s a strong desire for our kids to develop pride in who they are, their sense of identity and belonging to Aotearoa,” he said.

“You can only be Pākehā in Aotearoa because that identity exists through our relationship with Māori. Understanding both Māori and non-Māori history builds pride and confidence in all children.”

Barnes said the curriculum also encouraged schools to build relationships with local hapū and iwi, helping students understand the significance of the places they lived.

“Trips to wāhi tapu (sacred places) or wāhi whakahirahira (place of spiritual or historical significance), sites important to hapū, iwi, and whānau open up a knowledge base that might not have been possible before.”

He said teaching Aotearoa’s histories helped children make sense of the world and see how communities – Māori and non-Māori – valued collectivity and whānau.

“History isn’t static, it lives in the present. When taught well, it helps us understand each other.”

RNZ approached the minister of education for comment regarding concerns and was redirected to the Education Ministry.

Deputy secretary Pauline Cleaver said it would consider feedback over the six-month consultation period and maintained the framework still reflected the Treaty and te ao Māori principles.

“In Social Sciences, students will be taught about Māori as tangata whenua, the Treaty of Waitangi, the Kīngitanga Movement and Māori concepts such as tūrangawaewae and mana.”

Cleaver said Māori history remained a key focus, while global history had been added in response to student interest. Consultation is open until 24 April, 2026.

“The goal is to reflect the diversity of New Zealand and deliver great outcomes for all learners.”

She said, in relation to the government’s decision to remove the requirement for schools to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, that under changes passed in the House this week, schools would still be required to offer Māori language education if requested by parents, and boards must take steps to achieve equitable outcomes for Māori students and reflect New Zealand’s cultural diversity.

“These requirements ensure Māori language and culture remain an integral part of our education system,” she said.

‘Histories should stay accurate’

David Seymour celebrated the draft curriculum, and said in a statement that it delivered on ACT’s coalition commitment to “restore balance to the Aotearoa New Zealand’s Histories curriculum”.

“The Marxist ‘big ideas’ such as ‘Māori history is the foundational and continuous history of Aotearoa New Zealand’ and ‘the course of Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories has been shaped by the use of power’ are gone,” he said.

“In their place is a new and balanced History Curriculum… No longer will it indoctrinate young people for political purposes – history education will be for the benefit of the children.”

However, Barnes believed that removing the curriculum’s focus on colonisation or Māori perspectives did not create “balance”.

“If we take out the histories of pre-colonial Aotearoa, colonisation, and its impacts, that continues an imbalance,” he said.

“Everything is political, but accurate history doesn’t mean indoctrination. It means honest discussions about what shaped Aotearoa.”

As a pāpā, Barnes said he wanted his daughter to grow up with a holistic understanding of history. One that connected identity, language, environment, politics, and economy.

“I want her to know she belongs, that her identity is valid, and to understand how our history shapes the present and future.

“Histories should stay accurate, intact, and prioritised, not left to chance.”

He said teaching accurate and inclusive histories was vital for tamariki to build identity, belonging, and understanding of Aotearoa’s place in the world.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

A sudden law change means the only legal obligation for schools to teach te reo Māori is if parents ask for it.

The government is removing a requirement for schools to give effect to the Treaty of Waitangi that included “taking all reasonable steps to make instruction available in tikanga Māori and te reo Māori”.

Government ministers said they were making the change because treaty obligations were the Crown’s responsibility and teaching Māori would still be protected by law.

Asked what regulation or legislation would require schools to use te reo, the Education Ministry said under the amended legislation schools would “be required under s127 of the Act to provide Māori language education on request of a parent or caregiver”.

“This is the same requirement in relation to te reo Māori that was in place between 1989 and 2020,” it said.

“The proposed amendment will also require a school board to seek to achieve equitable outcomes for Māori students. It must take reasonable steps to ensure that the policies and practices for the school reflect New Zealand’s cultural diversity.”

Some teacher and principal groups reacted angrily to this week’s change which took them by surprise.

The move followed the publication last week of draft curriculum documents that teachers said contained fewer Māori words and meaningful references to the treaty.

However, the revised primary school English curriculum included guidance for teaching children to read Māori words in English texts during their second and third years of schooling – something the government had previously flagged as a new development.

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

One of the biggest names in New Zealand film-making has died.

Lee Tamahori from Ngāti Porou, made his directorial film debut with the ground-breaking Once Were Warriors.

Born in Tawa, in Wellington he started Flying Fish, one of the country’s most successful advertising production companies.

His first short film, Thunderbox, was developed during the Te Manuka series with Don Selwyn and Larry Parr.

He went on to forge a remarkable international career, directing Hollywood and independent films such as Mulholland Falls, The Devil’s Double, and the James Bond film Die Another Day.

In a statement his family said Tamahori died peacefully at home surrounded by his long-time love Justine, his beloved children Sam, Max, Meka, and Tané, his daughter-in-laws Casey (who is expecting) and Meri, his darling mokopuna Cora Lee, and whānau.

“His legacy endures with his whānau, his mokopuna, every filmmaker he inspired, every boundary he broke, and every story he told with his genius eye and honest heart. A charismatic leader and fierce creative spirit, Lee championed Māori talent both on and off screen.

“He ultimately returned home to tell stories grounded in whakapapa and identity, with Mahana and his latest film The Convert, reaffirming his deep connection to Aotearoa. We’ve lost an immense creative spirit.

Moe mai rā e te rangatira.

Haere rā e hika koutou ko ō mātua,

Unuhia i te rito o te harakeke,

Ka tū i te aroākapa,

Aku nui, aku rahi e,

Aku whakatamarahi ki te rangi.

Waiho te iwi e,

Māna e māe noa.

Farewell, beloved Lee, go to your elders,

Plucked from the heart of the flax bush.

You stand now before the ranks of ancestors

My great ones, my esteemed,

My towering figures who reach to the heavens.

Leave us, your people,

To bear the ache of your absence.”

Friends and colleagues are invited to pay their respects on Sunday, 9 November, at Te Mahurehure Marae, in Point Chevalier in Auckland.

More to come…

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Te Pāti Māori’s leadership is willing to meet with estranged MPs Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris, the National Iwi Chairs Forum says.

Ngāti Kahungunu chairman Bayden Barber sat down with the party’s president and two co-leaders at Parliament this afternoon.

“It was a great meeting and we’re looking forward to bringing the factions of the party together to have a hui on a marae here in Pōneke.

“We just got agreement from this side so that’s a great start. Need to talk to Mariameno and Tākuta, but from Rawiri and Deb they were supportive.”

The National Iwi Chairs Forum would be reaching out to Kapa-Kingi and Ferris this evening to put the same hui request to them, Barber said.

“The sooner the better, we want it to happen ASAP.

“We’re keen to try and find a resolution this month because we know that as it gets beyond this year, there’s a very low chance of having success in the election. So yeah, there’s time pressure to get this sorted.”

After what he had heard today, Barber said he still believed things could be patched up.

“[The leadership] laid it all out, timelined the whole thing and that was helpful to understand the context but at the end of the day, the question goes back to, is this surmountable?

“We think it is, as iwi chairs, and hence why we’ve called a hui and they’ve agreed to attend. We look forward to having similar conversations with Mariameno and Tākuta shortly.”

Using the waka-jumping legislation to boot Kapa-Kingi and Ferris out of Parliament had not come up today, Barber said.

“We’re looking for a solution to maintain unity within the Māori Party. That’s what we’re focused on because that’s going to get us the most chance of success at the next election.

“If it comes down to that outcome, that’ll be something for them sort out.”

‘Nothing that would preclude’ waka-jumping in party’s constitution

Te Pāti Māori’s co-leaders were asked if they would waka-jump the rogue MPs this afternoon.

“We haven’t considered that particular option at this time,” Rawiri Waititi said.

“We’re allowing our national council to work through the constitution and we need to be able to allow them to do that without having to deal with that through the media.”

Political scientist Dr Lara Greaves has had a look at the constitution and said it did not prohibit the party from using the legislation.

“There’s nothing that would preclude any kind of enactment of the party hopping legislation. There’s nothing explicit in there.”

She said the Māori Party’s constitution was an “interesting” political document that gave the party’s president a lot of power, relative to other positions in the party.

“The president has a key role in dispute resolution.”

She added timing was also a key consideration for any party invoking the waka-jumping rules.

“If it’s six months before the election, that’s when there’s no by-election.

“So we’re starting to run into this really strange period where we have potential by election, or by elections, running close to the election or the cut off stage.”

Greaves said it would be easiest for for Kapa-Kingi and Ferris to meet with the party’s leadership and stick it out, over going solo and setting up their own party.

“Starting up a political party is incredibly hard with incredibly long hours. You’ve got to find money, you’ve got to find resources. We’re a year out from a general election.

“You’re going to split the Māori vote, potentially the Māori Party vote, allow Labour to come through the middle.

“They’re ultimately in quite a stressful situation where it might be a case that they bow out quietly or resign or retire at the election instead of going through that whole rigmarole of starting up a political party.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand

Source: Radio New Zealand

Te Pāti Māori’s co-leaders and their offside MPs are set to meet on Thursday to try to find headway in their open conflict.

The party is in crisis, with party president John Tamihere calling on Mariameno Kapa-Kingi and Tākuta Ferris to “do the honourable thing” and step down while Tamihere said there was “a process in play” for the two MPs to be expelled from the party.

That’s after a petition saying Tamihere should be the one standing down.

As well, there are allegations of intimidation and financial mismanagement

Iwi leaders are hopeful they can bring Te Pāti Māori MPs back together and make the party a credible force leading into next year’s election.

National Iwi Chairs Forum chairperson Bayden Barber believes outstanding issues can be patched up.

At a hui he led yesterday, party co-leaders Rawiri Waititi and Debbie Ngarewa-Packer agreed to meet with the estranged MPs.

Barber said after the meeting at Parliament the factions of the party would be brought together for a hui on a marae in Pōneke.

He told Morning Report the first priority he stressed at the meeting was the need for “a ceasefire” on all social media barbs which hadn’t been helpful.

He also wanted to see a hui to thrash out the issues in the hope of a resolution so that Te Pāti Māori could go on to play a part in the next government.

While the problems among the party’s caucus were serious they weren’t “insurmountable”.

“Our view would be let’s get to a hui and face to face between the parties and go from there.”

He wanted a a pause on any “consitutional stuff” such as moves to expel the two disaffected MPs.

While there was talk of a coup and expulsion, the two factions weren’t talking to each other.

Barber said the crisis appeared to have begun when Kapa-Kingi objected to the loss of the whip role within the party, however, he was a little unsure on the core problem.

“It’s headed south since.”

Ferris had agreed to a meeting this week, while Barber was still trying to contact Kapa-Kingi.

“We’ll sit down, put those issues on the table … let’s get to a hui face to face on the marae in Pōneke and let’s work things out.”

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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand