“The compulsory nature of this course was always about pushing Treaty ideology onto students, with no regard for their interests.”
Parmar has suggested that the 8000 students who took the course should be compensated.
The courses are designed to provide foundational skills and knowledge, including an understanding of the Treaty of Waitangi and other elements of te ao Māori (the Māori world).
University of Auckland vice-chancellor Dawn Freshwater recommended that the course be made optional following a university senate meeting in September.
“While students have found the courses valuable, they have also indicated where improvements could be made and told us they would like greater flexibility in how WTR fits within their programme of study,” Freshwater wrote.
The senate’s suggestion was a U-turn from the university’s previous stance.
In March, a university spokesperson defended the courses, saying they were faculty-specific and relevant to the students’ studies.
“The WTR courses offer core knowledge and essential skills to help transition new students into university, helping them adjust to university life and setting them up for success in their future studies.”
The course content “will be relevant to wherever in the world they end up working”, the spokesperson said.
“In the Faculty of Business and Economics, WTRBUS 100 uses a Māori-owned business as a case study to demonstrate knowledge systems relevant to business.”
In October last year, the Act Party posted a photoshopped Tui beer ‘Yeah right ’-style billboard mocking the University of Auckland’s WTR course after the university fell out of Times Higher Education’s top 150 universities’ rankings for the first time since 2020.
Parmar believed the compulsory course put the University’s reputation at risk, both locally and internationally.
“Students paid fees, lost time, and missed out on courses they actually would have chosen, or that were needed for their qualification.
“I have already written to the Vice Chancellor suggesting a credit for a future paper would be a fair way forward.
The University of Auckland has been contacted for comment.
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