Proponents of the change say that the country’s history as it is currently taught tends to cover up atrocities against indigenous peoples during colonization, while critics say the new curriculum would not provide a balanced view of the past.
“Let’s teach it, let’s learn it and let’s remember it. Let’s share our history with every student at every school …” said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern when she released a draft of the course, which she plans to publish. introduce next year.
Māori, who make up about 15% of New Zealand’s population, were robbed of much of their land by Britain during colonization. Thousands of Māori protested for civil and social rights in 2019 and criticized successive governments for not doing enough.
While visiting the site of a battle between the British and Māori in Ruapekapeka in 1846, Ardern appealed to the public for feedback on the design, which followers say reflects a renewed recognition of Māori history and culture.
The proposed curriculum includes the arrival of Māori in New Zealand, early colonial history, immigration and colonization of New Zealand and the Treaty of Waitangi – a founding treaty signed between representatives of the British Crown and more than 500 indigenous Māori leaders in 1840.
Paul Goldsmith, spokesman for the opposition, Conservative National Party, said the draft was “unbalanced and needs revision.”
‘How have we as a country been able to earn a living? How have we achieved one of the highest living standards in the world in such a short time? ‘
“Those fundamental questions don’t emerge prominently. They deserve much more than a cursory referral,” Goldsmith said.
New Zealand marks Waitangi Day on Saturday, named after the Waitangi region in New Zealand’s North Island, where the founding treaty was signed.