SLANZA Submission on the Treaty Principles Bill

Introduction 
I am writing this submission on behalf of SLANZA (School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa). Our organisation provides community, guidance and professional development on library practice and programmes for school library staff in Aotearoa, while honouring the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in our work. 
SLANZA’s aims include empowering and supporting school library staff and strengthening and promoting school libraries in Aotearoa. We achieve this by advocating for the critical role of school librarians, providing a national voice for our library sector, and administering professional development for our 547 members.  
SLANZA is strongly opposed to the Treaty Principles Bill currently under consideration and we recommend the Bill be abandoned. 
Reasons Why 
As an educational organisation SLANZA honours the mana of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Te Tiriti o Waitangi is one of this country’s founding documents and is vital to upholding human rights in Aotearoa. We see Te Tiriti as a taonga for this nation, it is an agreement of peaceful co-existence between two peoples, each while retaining their cultural identity - tangata Tiriti and tangata whenua. 
SLANZA understands that the Waitangi Tribunal report on the Treaty Principles Bill found that the proposed Bill will breach the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and cause prejudice to Māori. Likewise, twelve national education leaders: Te Akatea, NZEI Te Riu Roa; New Zealand Principals' Federation; PPTA Te Wehengarua; Secondary Principals' Council; Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand; Pacific Principals' Association; Te Rito Maioha Early Childhood New Zealand; Montessori Aotearoa NZ; and NZAIMS, all say they reject the Treaty Principles Bill, which is based on a fundamental misinterpretation of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is deliberately misleading. These groups said they will oppose the Government’s proposals to downgrade Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the Education and Training Act. 
SLANZA stands alongside these educational organisations with the same concerns. 
We believe Te Tiriti o Waitangi has been woven into the laws of Aotearoa to redress colonial wrongs and guarantee a degree of fairness and equity for Māori. The Ministry of Education developed culturally responsive pedagogy to reduce gaps in achievement levels among Māori and Pasifika students. The Education and Training Act requires schools through their Boards of Trustees to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi by: 

• working to ensure its plans, policies and local curriculum reflect local tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori and te ao Māori 
• take all reasonable steps to make instruction available in tikanga Māori and te reo Māori and, 
• ​achieve equitable outcomes for Māori students. 

Impacts 
School librarians have an important role in supporting the requirements currently set out in the Education and Training Act as well as their school’s strategic plan. SLANZA believes that by devaluing Te Tiriti o Waitangi in this Act will severely impact our country’s educational outcomes. Without Te Tiriti guiding educational policies, providing the more equitable learning environments and achievements our schools have worked hard to obtain would no longer be possible. The negative impacts will not only affect Māori ākonga, kaiako, and whānau but will adversely affect the whole school, the wider community and the nation as a whole. 
Recommendations 
Our organisation surveyed our members and over 83% opposed the Treaty Principles Bill. SLANZA emphatically opposes the Bill. We call on the Select Committee to abandon the Treaty Principles Bill immediately. 

Julia Smith
SLANZA National Executive Communications