February 08, 2019
Petition for treaty history in all schools
Digital advocacy group Action Station is getting behind a call by history teachers to teach the Treaty of Waitangi in all schools.
An online petition launched on Waitangi Day has already drawn more than 6000 signatures.
Action Station director Laura O'Connell Rapira says it will probably be closed off when it reaches 10,000 so it can be put into the hands of a select committee as soon as possible as a contribution to the emerging debate.
"Our petition is also asking for the New Zealand government to think about how we can make sure all children and young people in New Zealand learn about hapū and iwi histories of their local area, the context and the content of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the Treaty of Waitangi because of course they are different documents with entirely different ramifications, so how they are enacted in our society. We are also asking for the impact of colonisation and treaty-honouring initiatives to be included," she says.
Ms O'Connell Rapira says the petition also wants treaty education for adults and that all children growing up in Aotearoa New Zealand are able to learn te reo Māori.
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