Te Tiriti In Schools
We are all in this together.
I can see you in the morning when you go to school
Don’t forget your books, you know you’ve got to learn the golden rule
Your teacher tells you stop your playing, get on with your work
And be like Johnnie-Too-good, don’t you know he never shirks
He’s coming along
Songwriters: Richard Davies / Roger Hodgson.
What do you remember from Primary School? It’s funny the things that stick in our minds.
I recall that at this time of year, there was a lot of sitting cross-legged on the ground, practising songs for when the parents would come. This was an essential thing, as I remember, the parents coming to the Christmas show, and so there was a lot of rehearsing, sitting on hot concrete, with no memory of there being any sunscreen.
Good King Wenceslas seemed important, or perhaps it just required a bit more practice than "Jingle Bells.” Te Harinui was my favourite.
But on a summer day
Within a quiet bay
The Maori people heard
The great and glorious word
It still makes me think of a summer’s day in Aotearoa, not a white and snowy one on the other side of the world, but here, and us. I didn’t realise how much that would one day mean to me.
There were songs, stick games, and poi, but I don’t remember any history from a Māori point of view. We seemed to spend a lot of time learning about European explorers who circumnavigated the world. I remember some of the Māori kids being strapped in front of the class. I’m not saying they weren’t misbehaving, but it was always the Māori kids, never the pākehā ones.
Lunchtime meant bullrush, back before we went woke and banned it. There was a lot of running. I recall one year that we tracked our progress on a map from Rotorua to Ngāruawāhia, halfway to Auckland, running laps of the field each day.
I can still picture myself on the school cross-country, which, given the school’s location, ran through farmland and entered the school for the final lap. Running alongside a kid called Tony, we called him ‘Bones’ for obvious reasons, thinking I could overtake him on the final straight. I couldn’t.
This morning, I could hear the cross-country runners, not in my memory, but just the other side of my fence, which is where the finish line was.
Our local school, Matipo Primary, is located across the park and on the other side of the road. More than anything, it’s the reason we live here.
Back in 2008, our Johnny was soon to start school, and we didn’t much like the sound of the local one where we lived. We looked all over Auckland, but our options were limited, as our existing house was made from cladding. With the leaky home debacle unfolding while we owned it, we couldn’t sell it.
At that time, Te Atatū was relatively affordable, and we managed to find an ordinary brick home, no more cladding for us, on a good-sized section that was far beyond our reach in other suburbs, where house prices had skyrocketed. A meeting with the School Principal sealed the deal; he was just the down-to-earth, say-it-as-it-is headmaster we wanted.
Many years have passed, and our youngest is now in what was once the sixth form, but it still feels like Matipo Primary is with us, beyond the fond memories of the kids’ time there.
Each year, there are inter-school competitions for cricket, football, and touch rugby, just over our fence. Excited kids cheering and teachers encouraging them, just as it ever was.
As I was enjoying the happy sounds, which always remind me of the times when I was one of the parents watching, a rare post from the school appeared in my newsfeed, as I’d never got around to unfollowing them. It read:
Kia ora e te whānau,
The Matipo School Board and leadership team would like to share this statement reaffirming our ongoing commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
While recent government announcements may change legislation, our values and direction remain unchanged — Te Tiriti continues to guide who we are and what we stand for as a kura.
Please take a moment to read our full statement below.
He waka eke noa – we are all in this together.
I confess that I shed a few tears reading such a message from the school that my youngest three attended. It made me feel very proud of my community. What a fantastic attitude. “We’re all in this together” I can’t think of a better lesson.
The complete statement is below, as I think it’s worth sharing.
MATIPO SCHOOL
Matipo Road School – Board Statement on Te Tiriti o Waitangi
Kia ora e te whānau,
We are aware of the government’s recent announcement proposing to remove the requirement for school boards to “give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi” from the Education and Training Act 2020.
While this proposed change may impact how some schools interpret their obligations, we want to be very clear - at Matipo Road School, our commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi remains steadfast and unwavering.
Te Tiriti is not a policy to be adjusted or a requirement to be removed. It is a living, guiding covenant that shapes who we are and how we serve our community. It anchors our values of Whanaungatanga, Aroha, Kaitiakitanga, and Ako, and strengthens the relationships that connect our tamariki, whānau, staff, and wider community.
We are proud of the progress our kura has made in building an inclusive, bicultural, and multicultural environment where every learner is seen, valued, and supported to succeed as themselves. We will continue to:
Honour the principles of partnership, protection, and participation in all areas of school life.
Work alongside mana whenua, whānau, and iwi to reflect the stories, language, and values of this place in our curriculum.
Promote the daily use and celebration of te reo Māori me ōna tikanga.
Ensure our decision-making and governance reflect a deep respect for Māori aspirations and the wellbeing of all our tamariki.
Our Board and leadership team reaffirm that Te Tiriti o Waitangi will continue to guide our mahi - not because we are required to, but because it is right, just, and essential to who we are as a school and as a nation.
We remain committed to creating a learning environment grounded in respect, belonging, and shared responsibility - one that celebrates diversity and strengthens unity.
He waka eke noa - we are all in this together.
Nga manaakitanga,
Jonnie Black.
Tumuaki | Principal
David Easterbrook
Presiding Member - Matipo School Board
If I were looking for a school for my children these days, those are the values I would want to hear from the Principal and Board where I was planning to send my kids to learn.
Geoff commented, “What a wonderful response from the school. There is hope for us yet.”
Hear, hear! The government might try to roll back the progress that has been made, but it can’t go back in time.
This is a great response in the face of efforts to limit what our children learn, but I do worry about other schools that lack such support and leadership.
What was pleasing to see was that on the school’s page, all the replies were in support and expressing how much they agreed with the statement.
Thank you, Jonnie, David, and all those in the community who put their hands up in support of continuing to make progress - that’s the Aotearoa I want and love.
How about you?
Ngā mihi,
Nick.
To end today, here’s Supertramp with School. This newsletter is public so you’re most welcome to share it.
Stanford is too arrogant to understand that there are thousands of teachers & pupils in hundreds of schools across the country who will decide for themselves that they will honour The Treaty & there's not a bloody thing she can do about it!
Beautiful. Stand tall Aotearoa.
And to The National Party I have but one thing to say.
How dare you, for the things you've done, for the things to come.
F U AND THE SCHITZU YOU RODE IN ON. !