Parents across New Zealand want schools to obey the law, drop the Treaty obsession, and return to their core job of lifting literacy and maths, not trying to run government policy from the classroom.
Some teachers, principals, and Boards of Trustees have become so fixated on Treaty politics that they’ve turned classrooms into ideological battlegrounds. This loud faction is driving this trend, pouring time, training hours, and school resources into activism while the Government tries to drag their attention to improving New Zealand’s reading, writing, and maths results.
Parents are fed up. Their children are struggling to master basic skills, yet schools behave as if political positioning matters more than academic achievement.
Adding to the frustration, many of these same teachers marched for more taxpayer funding only weeks ago and
are now openly refusing to follow government direction. You cannot demand bigger salaries from the public while selectively ignoring the law the moment it clashes with
your preferred political agenda.
The removal of the “give effect to the Treaty” clause was a necessary correction. It restores educational attainment to the priority position in the law. Nothing stops schools from teaching te reo or tikanga; it simply stops them from elevating Treaty politics above learning.
Parents want their children taught the essentials and they want their teachers to be well-prepared to do so. Spending hours of staff meetings, PD sessions, and newsletters consumed by Treaty politics does not
ensure this.
Schools should serve the families in their community, not activist bureaucrats or professional associations pursuing political crusades.
Parents are encouraged to write to the Education Minister if they agree.
Hobson’s Pledge 2025