School is meant to give every child the best possible start in life. That means making sure they can read, write, do maths, and understand the world around them.

But right now, the law forces school boards to giving effect to the Treaty inside the classroom.

When you require kids to learn a particular culture or worldview – like tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori, and te ao Māori – you’re not doing it for their good, you’re doing it for the benefit of adults who want them to learn it.

Parents just want their kids to get the skills they need for their future, not be caught up in Treaty politics.

ACT has secured a commitment to review these compulsory Treaty requirements as part of the Government’s wider review of Treaty clauses in legislation. The outcome of this review must be to remove these clauses altogether from the Education and Training Act.