Schools curriculum

The New Zealand Curriculum provides the requirements that cover all teaching, learning and assessment for students in New Zealand schools.

The main principles are based on the belief that the student is the centre of all teaching and learning. The curriculum outlines the need for education to be relevant and responsive to the needs and abilities of all students. This will enable them to play a full part in the world in which they will live and work.

The revised New Zealand curriculum was launched in November 2007.  There are now eight essential learning areas:  

English
Learning languages
Mathematics and statistics
Science
Technology
Social sciences
The arts
Health and physical education

Te Marautanga o Aotearoa

Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, the draft curriculum written for Māori immersion education, was released in November 2007. Te Marautanga sits beside the revised New Zealand Curriculum, also launched recently, and is New Zealand’s first truly indigenous curriculum.

It sets the direction for teaching and learning for the students in New Zealand’s 350 primary and secondary Māori Medium schools. It aims to increase Māori achievement in all parts of the education system, particularly in literacy and numeracy, to increase the number of bilingual and multilingual students in New Zealand, and to strengthen kaupapa matauranga Māori.

If you’d like to find out more about Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, visit the Ministry of Education’s website.

Assessment

The Framework sets out the policies and procedures for assessment in all New Zealand schools. The national curriculum statements provide clear learning outcomes against which students' progress can be measured. The purpose of assessment is to assist with planning the next step of learning for students, reporting to parents, and planning for the most effective use of resources.