Te Tiriti O Waitangi
SEANZ recognises that Te Tiriti o Waitangi / The Treaty of Waitangi is the constitutional foundation of our society, that the Māori people are the tangata whenua, and that Māori language and culture are a fundamental and living part of Aotearoa New Zealand.
We recognise that Aotearoa New Zealand is a bi-cultural nation and acknowledge that Te Tiriti o Waitangi underpins our learning environments. We are strongly committed to upholding and honouring the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Equity Statement
SEANZ is strongly committed to upholding and honouring the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and we celebrate the cultural richness and diversity in Aotearoa. Steiner Waldorf schools and early childhood centres aim to be responsive to the wider cultural, social and political contexts in which they are located in Aotearoa New Zealand in the 21st Century and beyond.
Our education embraces and honours Aotearoa New Zealand’s bi-cultural heritage and considers all human beings to be free and equal in dignity and rights. While acknowledging Rudolf Steiner’s work, Steiner Education Aotearoa New Zealand works out of an approach of equity and strongly rejects any historical statements which may have been made by Rudolf Steiner from which inferences of racial prejudice may be made.
All Steiner Waldorf educational establishments aim, and are encouraged to be cultural safe havens for everyone.
SEANZ Schools in New Zealand’s Curriculum Guidelines state that:
“The principles that are fundamental to Steiner Waldorf schools are that it is accessible, and able to be adapted, to the needs of different ethnicities, cultures and religions.
Curriculum content allows for the exploration of a wide variety of cultural traditions and world views. Steiner Waldorf education in Aotearoa New Zealand strives to imbue curricula with the unique spirit and history of this land and its peoples.”
Because of this, Steiner Education Aotearoa and its member schools and early childhood centres are placed in an excellent position to make a prioritised contribution, in collaboration with cultural advisors, to the revival and preservation of the unique Indigenous culture and language of this land.