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How will these changes make a difference for children and young people?

These changes are part of wider system changes through the Education Work Programme.

They’ll help us to make sure that:

  • every student experiences opportunities to learn and progress through a curriculum that values their identity, language and culture, their strengths and aspirations, and those of their whānau
  • students, parents, whānau and teachers have strong relationships focused on a holistic view of the progress students are making across a range of learning
  • students, parents and whānau are active participants in their kura or school’s marau ā-kura or local curriculum
  • teachers and school leaders are well supported through clear system leadership, strong networks and better access to resources, guidance and development opportunities
  • high levels of trust allow information about student progress to be used and shared with confidence, to show what’s working for our children and young people, what needs to be improved and where more resources are needed.

Education of Work Programme

How will these changes benefit ākonga learning through Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, their whānau and kaiako?

Ākonga will learn through a curriculum that reflects te ao Māori, mātauranga Māori, and the values and aspirations of their kura whānau, hapū, and iwi.

Whānau will be alongside their tamariki throughout this learning journey. Whānau will be part of conversations with their tamariki and kaiako about how they’re going – what they’re doing well and how to progress to the next stage in their learning. They’ll be supported in this with records of learning that provide a holistic view of the progress their tamariki are making, and their wellbeing.

Kaiako will have a holistic curriculum centred around ākonga that enables them to succeed as Māori in a global world. They’ll have a framework for planning and monitoring learning that derives from mātauranga Māori and reflects te ao Māori. Kaiako will be able to see the progress each ākonga is making and tailor their ako in response.

How will these changes improve progress and achievement in the key capabilities that all children and young people need to learn?

Teachers will have more clarity about the expectations in the national curriculum and how to reflect those in their local curriculum and classroom programme. They’ll have more tools and resources to help them assess and track their students’ progress in the learning every child needs, and better access to resources and professional networks that support them to adapt their practice to meet the learning needs of their students. It will be easier for teachers and leaders to respond to the specific needs of every student – particularly those who need additional support.

Will parents have the information on their child’s progress and achievement they need so they can support their child’s learning?

Yes – records of learning will provide parents and whānau with ongoing, real-time information on how their child is progressing in a range of learning – including cultural, social and emotional learning, as well as literacy and numeracy, pāngarau and te reo matatini. They’ll show each student’s strengths while also signalling when more support or extension is needed in particular areas.

Students, parents and whānau will be able to contribute to the records, meaning they’ll provide a holistic picture of the learning that occurs both in and out of the classroom. Records of learning will help parents and whānau to have informed conversations with their child’s teacher or kaiako about their child’s progress, and how they can support their child’s learning.

Schools and kura will continue to be required to report to parents in writing at least twice a year. Those who use records of learning to report on students’ progress across the curriculum will meet this requirement without the need for additional reports.

Why is social and emotional learning important?

Social and emotional learning is crucial for ongoing learning and overall wellbeing – and for a well-functioning society that’s equipped to respond to the issues facing us locally and globally. Social and emotional learning is already a key feature of our national curriculum, through the key competencies in The New Zealand Curriculum and the graduate profiles in Te Marautanga o Aotearoa. We heard through the nationwide Education Conversation | Kōrero Mātauranga that parents and whānau want a stronger focus on wellbeing, on how their child is relating to others, and developing capabilities like self-responsibility, resilience, perseverance, motivation and communication that will help them to succeed and thrive.

What about literacy and numeracy, pāngarau and te reo matatini? Will they still be a focus?

Literacy and numeracy, pāngaru and te reo matatini will continue to be a strong focus as part of the learning that children and young people need, and will be included in records of learning, but they won’t be the only way we measure and recognise success. 

Is this a review of the curriculum?

We want to make sure that our national curriculum is equitable and fit for purpose, now and in the future. The Advisory Group has recommended, and we agree, that we need to establish a process for ongoing review that allows us to make the improvements we need now and in the future. Our national curriculum reflects our collective aspirations for our children and for our society, so it is important that we take the time to work together on any changes, and that there is transparency over the process and ongoing collaboration as we move forward with any updates.

Are the requirements for reporting to parents changing?

The requirement for reporting to parents in writing at least twice each year won’t be changing. Schools and kura who use records of learning to share information with parents on their children’s progress across the curriculum will meet this requirement without the need for additional written reports. And in the meantime we’ll provide guidance to schools and kura on how to use any online communications tools they already have to meet the requirement.

Our school/kura is at the early stages of developing a local curriculum/marau ā-kura – should we stop and wait for these changes?

We’ve heard through the Education Conversation| Kōrero Mātauranga that parents and whānau want their child’s identity, language and culture to be valued and reflected in their learning. You could be thinking now about how to build this into your local curriculum or marau ā-kura. Existing resources such as the Local Curriculum Design Toolkit | Rapua Te Ara Tika and the Leading Local Curriculum guide series were designed to support you, and more are in development.

Our school/kura already has a well-established local curriculum/marau ā-kura. What do these changes mean for us?

You should continue to work with your local curriculum or marau ā-kura, and use the guidance and resources to further develop or refine what you’re already doing.

Our school doesn’t have an online reporting tool for sharing information with parents – do we need to buy one?

No. Our work on records of learning will include exploring options for using existing online communications tools, such as those already being used by schools and kura, as well as options such as Te Rito – Student Information Sharing (previously known as SISI).

What impact will these changes have on teacher workload?

We’ve heard from teachers and leaders who are building these approaches into their teaching practice about the positive difference for them, their students and whānau. We want to make it easy for all teachers and leaders, and make sure they have the resources, supports and professional networks they need.

Teacher workload has been a key consideration of the Ministerial Advisory Group, Reference Group and the Ministry throughout the development of this work, and is a focus of other Education Work Programme activities such as the Education Workforce Strategy.

The changes we’re making will help teachers and kaiako to notice and respond to progress, and develop strong partnerships with parents and whānau. It will be easier to work with their students, parents and whānau, hapū, iwi and community to design a school curriculum or marau ā-kura that includes the learning all students need, and reflects the values, aspirations and priorities of students and whānau.

Through records of learning, teachers and kaiako will have holistic information about the learning progress, strengths and contexts of the students coming into their classrooms – helping them to design the right learning opportunities for each student and reducing the need for reassessment.

We’ll make sure changes are designed and implemented in collaboration with the sector, and allow time and resourcing to support schools and kura during the change process.

How will implementation be connected to other big changes like NCEA and Tomorrow’s Schools?

Throughout the curriculum, progress and achievement work there has been a strong connection with other Education Work Programme activities, both within the Ministry and at Ministerial Advisory Group level.

There was deliberate cross-representation across key areas of work, with members of the Advisory Group and Reference Group also being part of the Ministerial Advisory Groups and Reference Groups for the NCEA Review and Early Learning Strategic Plan Ministerial Advisory Group, and the Tomorrow’s Schools Independent Taskforce. Some of the Curriculum, Progress and Achievement Ministerial Advisory Group’s recommendations will be progressed as part of other Education Work Programme activities, such as the Education Workforce Strategy and Tomorrow’s Schools Review.

We’re very conscious of the amount of change that will be happening within our education system over the next few years. We’ll work hard to make sure the changes are aligned and implemented in ways that bring the most benefit – and least disruption – to students, whānau, schools and kura.

What do these changes mean for the Progress and Consistency Tool and Te Waharoa Ararau? Will other learning areas or capabilities be added to these tools? 

At this stage there are no plans to add other learning areas, capabilities or skills to the Progress and Consistency Tool and Te Waharoa Ararau. Schools and kura using these tools will continue to be able to use them for literacy and numeracy, pāngarau and te reo matatini, and information from the progress tools could be used to inform reporting through records of learning.

Will records of learning be connected to the New Zealand Record of Achievement?

Records of learning will show the progress each student is making in a range of learning throughout their schooling. They will be holistic and include learning that occurs both inside and outside the classroom. As well as teachers and kaiako, students, parents and whānau will contribute to the records. During the design stage we’ll look at how the records might connect with early learning and students’ learning after they leave school, and with the New Zealand Record of Achievement (NZROA). The NZROA differs from the records of learning in that is an official transcript of the New Zealand qualifications and standards that a learner has achieved.