Message from the Board of Trustees

A Message from the West Gore School Board of Trustees,

Hello, Kia ora and Greetings to everyone in our West Gore School Community,

As you will know the Government requirement to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi has been
removed from the Education and Training Act 2020. 

There has been an outpouring nationwide from iwi, school boards, the Principals Federation and education
professionals expressing opposition to this.

The Treaty of Waitangi must have it’s rightful place in our nations legislation as it recognised within our constitution as a founding document of Government.

The Government position is that this action releases School Boards of Trustees from a legal obligation to honour the
Treaty within schools. School Boards nationwide rejected the inference that to honour the Treaty should be an obligation or undertaken under some form of compliance. We also reject the idea that School Boards can not give effect to the Treaty as that right resides with the Government. School Boards are indeed Crown entities.

We believe very much in the principles of partnership within The Treaty and feel their presence within our School
identity, curriculum and culture is vital and enriching in the education of all of our students.

At West Gore School we will continue on as before in committing to the principles within Te Tiriti as they guide and
inform our governance and school programmes regardless of the legislative change. Diminishing the role of the Treaty
does a disservice to us all. We will give effect to the Treaty as we always have done.

Our commitment is to our students, their whanau, our Māori community, our West Gore School values and to what is
right as our tamariki look to their future and their place in it.

We thank you for your support.

Susan Hasselman.
Presiding Member

Linda Fraser
Principal