The Treaty of Waitangi principle is one of eight principles in The New Zealand Curriculum that provide a foundation for schools' decision making. The Treaty of Waitangi principle calls for schools and teachers to deliver a curriculum that: 

• acknowledges the Treaty of Waitangi principles 
• acknowledges our nation’s bicultural foundations 
• enables students to acquire knowledge of te reo Māori and tikanga Māori.

The Treaty of Waitangi principle isn’t just about studying Treaty history or having a kapa haka group. The Treaty of Waitangi principle calls for schools to understand and honour Treaty principles in all actions and decision making. It is about making our country’s bicultural foundations evident in school policies, organisation, physical spaces, whānau and community engagement, and classroom planning and assessment.

The three “P’s”, as they are often referred to, are the principles of partnership, participation and protection. These underpin the relationship between the Government and Māori under the Treaty of Waitangi. They are used to bridge the gap between the literal differences between the Māori and English texts.

Partnership is:

• engaging with Māori community

• inquiry- place based learning-finding out about the history and Māori origins of your rōhe, mountains, rivers

• having Māori representatives on boards of trustees

• equity for Māori

• power sharing

Protection is:

• valuing, validating and protecting local knowledge (place-based learning)

• normalising te reo Māori

• learning and including tikanga school-wide

• equity for Māori

Participation is:

• working to strengthen home-school relationships

• Māori participating in school decision making

• School environment reflecting the biculturalism of Aotearoa

• aspirations of Māori whānau reflected in school planning

• equity for Māori

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