Source: New Zealand Government
The national curriculum for schooling will be refreshed over the next three-to-four years to make Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and The New Zealand Curriculum clearer, more relevant, easier to use, and more explicit about what learners need to understand, know and do, Associate Ministers of Education, Jan Tinetti and Kelvin Davis announced today
During the next three-to-four years, each learning area in The New Zealand Curriculum will be refreshed – beginning with Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories in the Social Sciences learning area this year, followed with the content for Mathematics, English and Science learning areas in 2022.
The refresh will review the large number of achievement objectives currently in the curriculum and aim to provide greater clarity about progress across the curriculum to ensure all learners are reaching the milestones they need to.
It will also seek to strike a balance between the learning that is important nationally and that which is relevant locally, and professional learning and development has been prioritised to better support schools to develop their local curriculum.
“I know parents, teachers and whānau want more certainty about what tamariki need to learn in schools and kura – their progress, strengths and where support is needed – through a curriculum that focuses on wellbeing, identities, language and culture,” Minister Tinetti says.
“Ākonga need to learn from a curriculum that is rich in te reo and tikanga Māori, is meaningful to them and their whānau, and equips our tamariki with the skills and wellbeing they need in this ever-changing world” says Minister Davis.
“It’s time to take the next big step for ākonga by strengthening Te Marautanga o Aotearoa in partnership with whānau, hapū and iwi, grounded in the key values and aspirations of te ao Māori,” he says.
“I know first-hand the challenges our teachers face,” Minister Tinetti says, “These changes seek to reduce teacher workload by providing greater clarity and guidance on what to teach and when. They will help teachers to plan and deliver engaging learning experiences that mean all our tamariki progress and meet their key milestones.”
Educators will be supported through the curriculum refresh – it will be developed collaboratively with opportunities at all stages of the refresh for the education sector, learners, parents and whānau to be involved.
For more information on the national curriculum refresh, please go to: www.education.govt.nz/national-curriculum-refresh
