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Kōrero Mātauranga is a series of education conversations to help build the world’s best education system for all our children and young people.

We want all New Zealanders to participate in the kōrero. And especially those – such as children and young people, Māori, Pacific peoples, parents, people with learning support needs – whose voices have not been traditionally heard in discussions about the future of education. We've already had over 43,000 responses to a variety of issues and begun publishing summaries of what you told us.

Most of the kōrero is taking place around the significant changes being proposed to almost our entire New Zealand education system, as part of the Education Work Programme (EWP). In addition, feedback from the kōrero is being used to design a vision that will guide the future of education in Aotearoa for the next 30 years.

On this page, you can find out ‘what’s happening now’ with the kōrero and about how you can join in. You can also go to ‘conversations’, in the main menu above, to find out more about the conversations we are having, or to see where a particular conversation is at.

Education Work Programme Overview

In March 2021, the Cabinet agreed to the contents of the Education Work Programme (EWP) 2021 for this term of Government.
The Education Work Programme 2021 has a strong focus on implementation and delivery, and on addressing systemic issues within the education system, such as falling levels of achievement in maths and science, poor and declining rates of attendance, and the relatively high levels of bullying within the schooling system.

The main priority components of the EWP 2021, for this term of the current Government are seen below.

Objective 1:

Learners at the Centre

 

   

 

 

 

The Action Plan for Pacific Education 2020-2030

The Early Learning Action Plan 2019-2029, with a focus on pay parity

Ka Hikitia – Ka Hāpaitia and Tau Mai Te Reo

Promoting safe and accepting school environments for Rainbow students to learn and thrive, including working with schools on providing gender neutral bathrooms for school students

An action plan to improve student attendance and engagement

  

Objective 2: 

Barrier free access

 

 

Initiatives to tackle barriers to educational success: 

  • Expand Ka Ora, Ka Ako | Healthy School Lunch programme;
    • Implement an Equity Index for schools and early learning services; and
    • Improve digital access to help address the digital divide in schools
    • Free period products in schools and kura

 The Learning Support Action Plan 2019-2025

 

Objective 3:

Quality teaching and leadership

 

 

 

 

Reform of the Tomorrow’s Schools system:

  • A new Education Service Agency o A national Curriculum Centre
  • An independent mechanism for raising and resolving complaints, including supporting the use of restorative practice
  • A more visible support system for school leadership
    • Strengthening school governance
  • Strengthening the Māori medium education pathway
    • Ensuring school enrolment schemes are fair

Reforms of Curriculum, Progress and Achievement, and NCEA:

  • Refresh the national curriculum
  • Ensure that Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories are taught in all New Zealand schools and kura from 2022
  • Implement the NCEA Change Programme

Develop a literacy strategy and a mathematics (including numeracy) strategy.

Continued work to attract and develop a strong, culturally competent education workforce that is capable, supported, valued and connected, including through changes to improve Initial Teacher Education.

 

Objective 4:

Future of learning and work

 

  

 

The Reform of Vocational Education:

  • Establish Workforce Development Councils, and oversee the integration of Te Pukenga
  • Creating a framework and a plan for a unified funding system

The International Education Strategy and the International Education Recovery Plan

Strengthen youth transitions system

Modernise careers advice in schools

Reviewing the tertiary education funding system, including for degrees, to introduce a stronger focus on work-integrated learning across a broader range of disciplines

Expanding the Creatives in Schools programme

  

Objective 5:

World class inclusive public education

 

 

 

 

 

A strategic programme of investment in school property

The Review of the Performance-Based Research Fund

Click the link below to read the Cabinet Paper Education Work Programme 2021:

Cabinet Paper Education Work Programme 2021

Education Work Programme 2018

In 2018, the current Government outlined a three- year work Education Work Programme (EWP 2018) for its first term.

The EWP 2018 was made up of:

  • big reviews parts of the system
  • medium term strategies to map out priorities and actions for 2018/20 and beyond
  • some key initiatives that needed getting underway during 2018/20.