Judy Gill
New Zealand’s national early childhood curriculum, Te Whāriki, has undergone significant changes – especially since its 2017 update. While intended to reflect a bicultural framework, this curriculum now includes regular and embedded references to Māori spiritual concepts, including:
Atua – gods or supernatural beings
Wairua – the soul or spirit
Mauri – life force
Mana atua – the power of gods
Karakia – spiritual incantations or prayers
These concepts are no longer merely taught about in a cultural context – they are often practiced and integrated into daily activities in early childhood centres and schools, including teacher-led karakia during morning sessions, mealtimes or school events.
If these elements came from a Christian, Hindu or Muslim tradition, they would likely be classified as religious content and restricted under the secular obligations of the public education system.
Yet Māori spiritual belief – which includes gods, creation myths, afterlife beliefs and metaphysical forces – is not being referred to as religion, but rather as ‘culture’ or ‘spirituality’. This distinction is being used to circumvent protections against religious indoctrination in state institutions.
Why This Matters
New Zealand does not have a formal, written constitution but its laws and practices have long reflected the principle of secularism in public education. The Education and Training Act 2020, for example, affirms that:
“Every student has the right to freedom of religion and belief.”
The Act also outlines that religious instruction may only occur with written parental consent and must be clearly separated from the rest of the school curriculum. This requirement is clearly stated in Section 58 of the act and supported by Ministry of Education guidelines.
However, because Māori spirituality is not formally classified as ‘religion’, its practices are not subject to this same scrutiny.
This legal inconsistency creates a troubling double standard:
Children are shielded from Christian prayer unless opted in by parents. But Māori karakia and spiritual concepts are routinely opt-out only (if at all) and are often mandatory or normalised, especially in early childhood education where parents may not be fully informed.
Cultural Literacy vs Spiritual Practice
There’s a clear and important difference between:
Teaching children about Māori culture and worldview (education) and involving them in spiritual rituals and metaphysical teachings (indoctrination). Many parents, educators and legal observers believe this line has been crossed.
No matter how well-intentioned, having non-Māori children participate in daily karakia or being taught about wairua as fact is not simply cultural inclusion – it is promoting spiritual beliefs under the authority of the state.
Legal and Ethical Concerns
1. Inconsistent Application of Secular Policy
Christian, Muslim or Hindu practices are classified as ‘religion’ and kept separate from classroom learning.
Māori spiritual practices are rebranded as ‘culture’ to avoid restrictions, even though they include belief in gods, spirits and an afterlife.
2. Violation of Parental Rights and Informed Consent
In many cases, parents are unaware that their children are participating in spiritual practices, or they are not offered a meaningful opt-out.
3. Risk of Coercion in Early Childhood Settings
Young children lack the cognitive ability to distinguish between cultural learning and spiritual truth – especially when delivered by teachers within trusted environments.
4. Cultural Favoritism by the State
The current system promotes one group’s spiritual worldview, while restricting or excluding others – a clear form of institutional bias.
What Needs to Happen
This issue is not about rejecting Māori culture – it’s about ensuring fairness, transparency and legal consistency in public education. All New Zealanders should be concerned when the government favours one spiritual belief system while restricting others.
I propose the following action plan:
1. Classify Māori Spiritual Belief as Religion Where Applicable
– Update Ministry of Education guidelines to recognise karakia, atua references and related concepts as religious content when presented in practice, not just theory.
2. Require Informed Parental Consent
– Mandate that all spiritual practices in schools (including karakia) require opt-in parental consent, in accordance with Section 58 of the Education and Training Act 2020.
3. Establish Clear Guidelines for Cultural vs Religious Content
– Develop a public framework distinguishing between:
Teaching about beliefs (educational and cultural),
Promoting or leading spiritual practices (religious and subject to restrictions).
4. Legal Review by Human Rights Commission or Ministry of Justice
– Initiate an independent review into whether current curriculum practices violate the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act 1990, especially Section 15 – Freedom of Religion and Section 19 – Freedom from Discrimination.
5. Create a Formal Opt-Out Policy for All Early Learning Centres
– Require every state-funded preschool or kindergarten to notify parents of any spiritual content and offer an opt-out mechanism.
Final Word
All belief systems – indigenous or otherwise – deserve respect. But no belief system should be imposed on children without clear consent, especially in state-funded educational environments.
This is not about attacking culture — it’s about upholding legal neutrality, parental rights and genuine secularism in New Zealand schools.
If secularism is going to be applied to Christian prayers in classrooms, it must be applied equally to Māori spiritual practices.
The future of our education system – and the freedom of belief for all families – depends on consistency, not double standards.
