Home About

Thank you to the 16,000 of you who joined the Education Conversation | Kōrero Mātauranga on the future of education.

We have done an initial report on the main themes from the first 11,000 responses received.

Kōrero Mātauranga Survey - Initial Analysis [PDF, 585KB]

The common themes include:

  • No students should be disadvantaged due to financial or family circumstances.
  • Teachers need better remuneration and to have better supporting staff and strategies to improve teaching practice.
  • Children with additional learning needs require more funding and support.
  • Students should be resilient, capable, resourceful, independent, socially competent and curious.
  • Students need recognising for their contribution to family/whānau, hapu, iwi, and community.
  • Students need to be able to think critically, innovate, respect others and take responsibility. They need good communication skills and strong foundation skills in literacy and numeracy.
  • Young people feel there is too much focus on assessments; this is a burden on them and their teachers.
  • Many parents identified reducing bullying as a priority.
  • Many felt the curriculum should focus on progress rather than testing or benchmarking.
  • Differences in achievement between Māori and Pacific students and Pākehā need addressing, and there should be better teaching of Māori culture and history. Some felt te reo Māori should be compulsory, at least in primary schools.

Your feedback will be used to develop the vision for the future of education in New Zealand for the next 30 years, and to inform the various aspects of the Government’s Education Work Programme as we seek to build the world’s best education system.