Māori words in school reading books

The story so far

The Education Ministry decided not to reprint the junior reader At the Marae because it does not fit the required sequence.^{8 Aug 2025} Education Minister Erica Stanford had decided in October last year to exclude most Māori words from new Ready to Read Phonics Plus books, to prevent confusion for five-year-olds.^{13 Aug 2025} The Māori Principals' Association and the NZ Principals' Federation criticised the moves, and the association's president called the decision racism and white supremacy.^{8, 13 Aug 2025} A University of Canterbury professor called for transparency about the near-total ban, and a Māori studies academic said the decision breaches human rights and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.^{14 Aug 2025} In September, teachers and principals at a Wellington conference warned that the Treaty and Māori words were being omitted from new English and maths curriculums, but Stanford rejected these claims.^{4 Sep 2025}

Latest

Educators at a Wellington conference reported a noticeable reduction in Treaty and Māori references in school documents, and the minister rejected their claims.^{4 Sep 2025}

Key moments

1. 8 Aug 2025Ministry declines to reprint At the Marae, citing the required sequence
2. 13 Aug 2025Minister's earlier decision to exclude most Māori words from new books revealed
3. 13 Aug 2025Principals' Federation criticises the removal of Māori words for five-year-olds
4. 14 Aug 2025Professor calls for transparency over near-total ban on Māori words
5. 14 Aug 2025Māori studies academic says decision breaches human rights and Te Tiriti
6. 4 Sep 2025Educators claim Treaty and Māori content is being removed from new curriculums

Written from the stories below; each sentence links to its sources.