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Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
What does The New Zealand Curriculum consist of?
How does this align with the schooling strategy?
Will it be compulsory for all students to take a second language in years 7-10?
What impact will this have on achievement standards?
What happens to the current curriculum statements?
What support is envisaged during the implementation phase?
How can schools share information about school curriculum design?
What’s different?
The New Zealand Curriculum aims to support today’s students to learn in a way that will prepare them for the world of tomorrow.
It:
- includes a set of common values
- places more emphasis on themes relevant to today’s society
- contains five key competencies for students
- raises the profile and status of learning a second language
- raises the profile and status of statistics within mathematics
- makes the Treaty of Waitangi explicit in the overview, purpose, principles and values
- recognises the need for schools to work closely with communities to design relevant learning programmes.
The curriculum also provides greater clarity for teachers, students and trustees by providing clear and simple statements about priorities, expectations and outcomes for each learning area. It also details the type of teaching that brings out the best in students.
It recognises English, te reo Māori and New Zealand Sign Language as official languages. These may be studied as first or additional languages, or used as the medium of instruction.
There are two partner documents in the new curriculum: The New Zealand Curriculum for English-medium teaching and learning, and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa for Māori-medium teaching and learning.
Why?
In 2002, the Ministry of Education’s Curriculum Stocktake Report identified that while many students were achieving at world-class levels, there are disparities among some groups.
The new curriculum contributes towards all students having a strong foundation for learning, high levels of achievement, and a lifelong engagement in learning. It encourages schools to put personalising learning into practice and support the aims of the government for students to stay at school longer, and attain higher levels of achievement.
What does the New Zealand Curriculum consist of?
There are two partner documents: The New Zealand Curriculum for English-medium teaching and learning, and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa for Māori-medium teaching and learning. This reflects the partnership embodied in the Treaty of Waitangi.
The New Zealand Curriculum includes and explains:
- the vision for young people who are confident, connected, actively involved lifelong learners.
- the principles that guided the curriculum’s development: high expectations, Treaty of Waitangi, cultural diversity, inclusion, learning to learn, community engagement, coherence and future focus.
- the values that will be developed and modelled through teaching and learning: excellence; innovation, enquiry, and curiosity; diversity; equity; community and participation; ecological sustainability; integrity and respect.
- the key competencies – the capabilities people need in order to live, learn, work, and contribute as active members of their communities. They are: managing self; relating to others; participating and contributing; thinking; and using language, symbols, and texts.
- the eight learning areas: social sciences; arts; technology; science; mathematics and statistics; health and physical education; English; and learning languages. The new curriculum explains the rationale and the structure of each of these learning areas.
- effective pedagogy, reinforcing the importance of effective teaching and learning and providing guidance for teachers.
- the designing and planning sections to provide guidance to schools on working with their communities to design and implement the curriculum, to plan for clear learning objectives and to assess for learning. Schools are advised on how to incorporate significant themes such as sustainability, citizenship, enterprise, globalisation, and financial literacy into their teaching programmes.
How does this align with the Schooling Strategy?
The Schooling Strategy outlines the five-year plan that aims to improve social and academic outcomes for all students, focusing on factors that make the biggest difference for student learning. The New Zealand Curriculum supports this by setting the direction for learning.
Will it be compulsory for all students to take a second language in years 7-10?
All schools with students in years 7-10 will offer students the opportunity to learn a second language, but it will not be compulsory for all students to learn a second language.
What impact will this have on achievement standards?
There will be no change to achievement standards until they are reconsidered as part of the regular review cycle following the implementation of the final New Zealand Curriculum.
What happens to the current curriculum statements?
They become support documents.
What support is envisaged during the implementation phase?
There will be practical support and professional development for teachers including workshops, sectors leaders working throughout the country, and extensive information available online.
How can schools share information about school curriculum design?
The School stories section of this site includes digital stories and information from the 2006 exploratory studies. They provide examples of ideas and approaches some schools are using to reshape their curricula. Over the coming months, more stories will be added to this area.
In addition, schools are able to share implementation experiences, strategies, stories and ideas and to make their own connections via online discussions and wiki spaces.
