Kindergartens Aotearoa, an organisation representing 260 kindergartens around the country from Auckland’s North Shore to South Otago, supports schools and kura that continue to recognise and honour Te Tiriti despite a government move to change the law.

The government plans to remove a requirement for school boards of trustees to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, however most schools and kura plan to continue to uphold Te Tiriti despite the proposed changes.

Kindergartens will also continue to reflect Te Tiriti in our services.

Aotearoa’s world-leading national early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki has Te Ao Māori, Mātauranga Māori and Tikanga Māori woven through it in ways that encapsulate Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

Te Tiriti cannot be separated from the curriculum because it is the essence of the curriculum.

The vision for tamariki, stated in Te Whāriki, is that children grow up "competent and confident learners and communicators, healthy in mind, body, and spirit, secure in their sense of belonging, and in the knowledge that they make a valued contribution to society”. In Aotearoa, this requires Te Tiriti o Waitangi to be upheld and recognised by all.

To this end, Kindergartens Aotearoa stands with all schools and early childhood centres who uphold our collective responsibility to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

We commend the leadership, and commitment schools have demonstrated by upholding principles that enable and support culturally responsive education in Aotearoa.

Like other educational organisations, our commitment is not about compliance. Te Tiriti is at the heart of our practice, and we recognise the values of more than 1500 schools in adhering to similar values.

We also acknowledge steps that other kindergarten associations have taken to speak up to support the important role Te Tiriti plays in our education system and in our society.