Will’s Word: Auckland University set to make Treaty classes optional

So the University of Auckland looks set to drop its compulsory Treaty of Waitangi and te ao Māoriclasses.

For a bit of context, they were made mandatory for all first year students at the start of this year. But after just one semester, the senatehas recommended they become optional instead and apparently, it's down to mixed reviews.

Some staff and students thought the courses were valuable, while others argued it was perhaps a waste of time and money. Apparently the price tag around this was around $900 to $1200 and that didn't sit well with some.

Cynically, you have to ask though, was this decision purely about student and staff feedback, or was it also bending to the loud political pushback? Remember, ACT Party leader David Seymour was one of the loudest voices against the courses.

He even went as far as to call them “indoctrination”and “perversion of academic freedom”. Personally, I understand the thinking behind the courses. They were designed to give students more of a grounding in our country's history, the Treaty and te ao Māori, things that frankly should have been taught during school.

Topics that I would have found valuable when I was in school. Heck, when I was in college, I learned Japanese and French. I don't want to diminish the beauty of those languages and the importance of those languages in the world, but te reo Māori wasn't even a proper option.

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I learned about migration from England to New Zealand instead of getting in-depth knowledge of, say, the Treaty, for example. So I completely understand the thought process behind courses like this. I personally would have found it valuable.

So you've got to ask, was this about quality control or was it about political pressure? Probably a bit of both. Kind of shows how tricky it is for universities to deliver courses that tick both the educational and political boxes, while keeping students on board at the same time.

That's Will's Word.