Article Summary

This article reports on an urgent inquiry by the Waitangi Tribunal into the government’s decision to remove school boards’ legal duty to uphold the Treaty of Waitangi, featuring concerns from Māori iwi and the teachers’ union that this will harm Māori students’ cultural rights and safety in schools. It highlights emotional testimony about historical patterns of Crown overreach and uses strong language to emphasize the significance of the policy change, while not including government arguments in support of the move. The story persuades by appealing to shared values around justice and partnership, and by stressing the potential damage to Māori language and culture in education.