The argument in this article is that current discourses of Kura Kaupapa Maori (KKM) are primarily ideological rather than educational, which produces difficulties and limits achievement in these schools. An educational focus would be reflexive and responsive to critique, research and community needs. Without an educational focus, the ideological base of KKM can lead to a disconnection between the representations in KKM discourse and everyday reality for teachers, students and school communities. Essentialist interpretations of KKM philosophy have resulted in the development of new forms of language oppression, to the detriment of the long-term educational interests of KKM students. This article, a philosophical reflection on the current state of development and future possibilities for KKM, takes science education as its example, and calls for a review of some aspects of KKM language policy, and argues that philosophical understanding is a necessary part of professional learning for KKM teachers.