37895 (2024). Hon Jan Tinetti to the Minister of Education

37895 (2024). Hon Jan Tinetti to the Minister of Education: Does the Minister agree with Pip Tinning from the Association of teachers of English who said teachers were expecting the work would result in a far more prescriptive curriculum, with teachers required to teach from a list of particular texts; if so, will schools be expected to develop a local curriculum?

Hon Erica Stanford: I have received feedback from both educators and experts highlighting that too much onus is placed on teachers, schools, and kura to decide what to teach and how to teach it. The updated New Zealand Curriculum will provide teachers with clarity about what students need to understand, know, and do in each year of learning. A clear, knowledge-rich curriculum will provide consistency across the country and allow teachers to focus on creative teaching and learning programmes that bring the curriculum to life through local, national and global contexts. Opportunities for schools and kura to provide feedback on the proposed content of the updated curriculum have deliberately been built into the drafting process. This includes opportunities to offer feedback on the level of prescription in the English learning area before it is finalised and is required to be implemented.