Next year the University of Auckland will introduce the Waipapa Taumata Rau courses, which will look at aspects of the Treaty of Waitangi and te ao Māori. It’s the first of its kind in New Zealand and all first-year students will be required to take it.
It has been years in the making with consultation from hundreds of staff, students, employers and professional bodies.
A University spokesperson said a deeper understanding of the country’s history including the place of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its role in contemporary life is increasingly required by employers and professional bodies.
The course’s main focus is to ensure all students have the essential skills and knowledge required for success as first-year university students.
There are five courses available and students will take the one associated with their faculty.
A spokesperson for the University said, “The courses will give our students a deeper understanding of place-based knowledge and the significance and context of studying in Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland and at the University of Auckland.”
“Hence the content covering Te Tiriti o Waitangi and te ao Māori, reflecting their importance in contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand.”
Pro Vice-Chancellor Maori Te Kawehau Hoskins (Ngātiwai, Ngāti Hau) says she’s excited for the students to take this course.
Pro Vice-Chancellor Māori Te Kawehau Hoskins. Photo/supplied.
She says the feedback so far has been amazing.
“A big part of this course has been recognising that a lot of our students post-Covid are coming to university unprepared for uni life with their abilities in different academic literacy.
“We recognised a need to address those skills for students and to do it in that foundational year.
“We recognise that through our research we might come to have particular views about things but we are required to maintain an environment where students and other colleagues can have a counterview.”
Re: journalist Te Ahipourewa Forbes went to the University of Auckland to see how students felt about the paper.
Student Jimah Ruland-Umata (Te Arawa, Kai Tahu, Ngāti Awa, Te Atiawa) is studying a Bachelor of Science majoring in Pharmacology says the Treaty paper gives a good insight to students who didn’t grow up in Aotearoa, especially international students.
Jimah Ruland-Umata. Photo/Te Ahipourewa Forbes
“It’s about time that our founding documents are so enriched and enlightened within our campus and within the University.
“By learning and understanding the Treaty in an academic sense, it allows for a greater understanding of the discipline that one might require when they start at the University as a student.”
He says it's one of the most beneficial things a student could come across, having the opportunity to gauge their experience to diversify their knowledge of the Treaty.
Jimah says all students should have to take it, it shouldn’t be an option.
“184 years ago, our language was optional while English was compulsory. We had to learn English.
“By way of virtue and by way of reclaiming our Indigenous knowledge and our Indigenous identity, the basic understandings and learnings of the treaty should be made compulsory.”
Law student Aniva Clarke says she thinks it’s really important.
Aniva Clarke. Photo/Te Ahipourewa Forbes
Aniva is currently learning about Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and thinks all students should have the opportunity to learn about it as it’s part of our history.
“I think it should be compulsory for all students because we don't get taught enough about it in high schools.”
She says the move to install this course demonstrates how the university is recognising our Indigenous peoples and making sure that everyone knows about our history as a country.
Re: spoke to six other students on the campus, who were all in support of the new course.
The ACT party has been vocal about its stance on Treaty-related issues including the introduction of its Treaty Principles Bill into Parliament, which if passed would see the Treaty principles redefined.
Coalition partners National and NZ First have said they would not support the bill past the first reading.
In the last election, ACT was the only party to propose a referendum on Te Tiriti o Waitangi, 91.6% of the electorate did not support them.
ACT’s tertiary education spokesperson Dr Parmjeet Parmar says although she’s not totally opposed to the idea of the University of Auckland paper, she thinks it needs to be optional, not compulsory.
Dr Parmjeet Parmar. Photo/supplied.
“This should be about choice because our young people deserve their choice.
“This paper, this course, is going to take up some time, so the pressure on students needs to be taken into account.”
She says another concern is that students might not be interested in taking this paper, which could result in a lower overall grade.
She says Auckland University needs to maintain its international outlook.
“If [international] students come here to study a particular degree I don't think they’ll be totally focused on their degree while investing this kind of time for 15 points [on the Treaty paper] that I believe should be elective, not compulsory.”
In an opinion piece published earlier this month in Times.co.nz, Parmar said, “The course risks a dangerous uniformity of perspective on Treaty issues.”
When asked to explain why, she said the debate on the Treaty is not yet settled.
“This paper is going to cover the Treaty of Waitangi and traditional Māori knowledge system.
“What we risk here is if students will have views that differ from what is being taught by whoever is teaching them or whoever has set the framework, then they may risk not passing this paper.”
She says students will basically be forced to accept a view that is presented to them.
Right-wing lobby group Hobson’s Pledge also voiced concerns, advocating for the course to be optional.
They published an open letter called “Say no to mandatory indoctrination”.
The letter says:
We the undersigned are writing to you to express our concern about the University of Auckland forcing students to take a course on the Treaty of Waitangi and New Zealand history.
This is not because we don't think that these are worthwhile subjects to study. Rather we object to the fact that it is mandatory and that the facts around the Treaty and our history are highly contested.
There are polarised views about whether Māori ceded sovereignty, for example. The people who are involved in writing and delivering these courses may take a radical view of the Treaty and may teach their opinions as truth.
The open letter has 12,807 signatures.
University of Auckland Pro Vice-Chancellor Maori Te Kawehau Hoskins says the ad is full of misinformation.
“Unfortunately this is the social and political environment we’re in.
“We’ve got people in my view who should know better [than] actively encouraging mistrust of each other and inciting racialised debate and race-baiting and I think that's clear to anyone with a passing interest in what's happening in our country at the moment.
“At the end of the day, we’re still a nation that has a tiriti, that still has a large and growing Māori population and if we can't keep talking about that then we're going to be way poorer for that.
“Te Tiriti [o Waitangi] is not just about Māori, it's about the interest of all New Zealanders.”
More stories:
Breast cancer doesn't discriminate, I found out I had it at 27
“I’m going to fight this and I’m going to win”
AI and dating: Writing bios, flirting, and risky photo edits
Landing dates, catfishing, and editing thirst traps - some pros and cons of generative AI.
Why are NZers hooked on Temu, and should we be?
A quarter of New Zealand adults have recently shopped on Temu, a new study shows.