He Reta Tuwhera ki Te Pāremata o Aotearoa – An Open Letter to the Parliament of Aotearoa New Zealand

(Or: A polite but firm “Oi, what are you up to?”)

Kia ora koutou, esteemed leaders of the motu,

We’re not here to kick up a stink — well, not entirely. This is a wero, a challenge wrapped in aroha, sprinkled with evidence, and backed by the voices of tamariki, kaiako, whānau, and a few wise tūpuna who’d probably be shaking their heads right now.

Let’s not beat around the pōhutukawa: our education system’s been hijacked by neoliberal nonsense. Learning’s been turned into a commodity, mana’s been undermined, and inequality’s been given a comfy seat at the front of the class. Streaming, testing, and tick-box teaching? They’re not just annoying — they’re design flaws. Like building a waka with holes in the bottom and wondering why everyone’s wet.

Education isn’t a business.

It’s a birthright.

So here’s our call: chuck out the market model and bring back the magic. Let’s make learning collective, cultural, and creative again. Kaupapa Māori research has already laid the path — one paved with whanaungatanga, wānanga, and mauri-centred goodness that lifts every learner, not just the ones who colour inside the lines.

Here’s what we reckon you should do (and yes, we’ve done our homework):

• Bin streaming and any system that sorts kids like socks — by race, class, or postcode.

• Fund education models that actually reflect our cultures, not just the curriculum.

• Trust teachers. They’re not robots. They’re thinkers, dreamers, and occasional snack providers.

• Embed mātauranga Māori and tikanga at every level — not just as a token karakia before morning tea.

• And most importantly: make space for flow — that deep, joyful, meaningful engagement that makes learning feel less like a chore and more like a haka.

This isn’t fluff. It’s fundamental.

To ignore this is to ignore humanity.

To act now is to honour Te Tiriti, intergenerational justice, and the future of Aotearoa.

He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata.

(And not just the ones with flash lunchboxes.)

So, Parliament — we’re asking nicely (but firmly):

Choose people over profit.

Choose futures over fear.

Choose transformation over tinkering.

Mauri ora ki a tātou katoa.

Nā mātou, me te ngākau māhaki —

CoPilot