It's certainly a busy time in the education sector as Term 4 continues, so a brief rundown on some of the key developments to be aware of.
First of all, a further iteration of revised Reading, Writing and Maths Curriculum content has been released, marking the third version schools have received. In addition, schools have also just received first drafts of science, technology, social sciences, learning languages, the arts, and health/P.E.
The latest literacy and maths curriculum has further substantive changes. It would be unwise to reach conclusions before having time to fully unpack the material, but the initial impressions about content and also the process raise valid questions and concerns.
First of all, the implementation timeframes seem unmanageable and unrealistic. Curriculum change involves significant engagement with teachers (who are already extremely busy), and the demands to date have been manifold.
Notably, we have now seen an increase in content to be covered, with a significantly higher number of learning objectives, particularly in mathematics, which overall do give an impression of a 'copy and paste' from some overseas curricula, added to over time.
Frankly, there is also a glaring absence of MΔori and Pacific perspectives, leaving a curriculum that many in the sector feel does not reflect the nature of New Zealand society.
For now, we will continue to take a slow, methodical approach to curriculum development, as it seems increasingly clear that there are still many unresolved questions to be worked with, which will only be achieved through a genuine engagement with educators in order to find a path forward that enables the outcomes we want for all learners.
