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News of February 2021
Refreshing our national curriculum for schooling
15/2/2021
The national curriculum for schooling will be refreshed over the next five years to ensure it is more clear, more relevant and easier to use.
The curriculum refresh was announced by Associate Ministers of Education, Jan Tinetti and Kelvin Davis.
Find out more about the refresh of the national curriculum for schooling
In September 2019 the Minister of Education, the Hon Chris Hipkins, announced the need to refresh the national schooling curriculum to ensure it remains fit for purpose and clear about the most important learning that can’t be left to chance.
Since then the Ministry has been working with people from the education sector and wider communities to really understand how to make the improvements needed for students to succeed now and in the future.
An example of what the refreshed content could look like is the draft curriculum content for Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories and Te Takanga o Te Wā, which is open for public feedback:
NEW – Leading Local Curriculum Guide: Aotearoa New Zealand's histories
5/2/2021
This guide complements the Leading Local Curriculum Guide series.
It is the first in a series of two guides designed to support primary, intermediate, and secondary school leaders to understand and plan for Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories within social sciences.
Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories
3/2/2021
From 2022, Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories will be taught in all schools and kura.
Find out about the development of the draft curriculum content, download the curriculum content, and give feedback at Education.Govt.NZ – Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories in our national curriculum.
Professional support for early literacy coming in 2021
2/2/2021
Professional support will be available in 2021 and 2022 for literacy specialists and Years 1 to 3 teachers, with an initial focus on new entrant and Year 1 teachers.
The Better Start Literacy Approach | Te Ara Reo Matatini (BSLA) professional support will be delivered by the University of Canterbury during terms one and two 2021. The BSLA is an integrated approach to developing vocabulary, oral, listening, spelling, writing and reading skills in the first year of learning, utilising the Ready to Read Phonics Plus texts. It focuses on the link between spoken and written language, systematically supporting children’s phonological and phonic awareness, letter-sound knowledge and oral language.
Applications are open now for schools, Kāhui Ako and clusters to apply for professional support for new entrant and Year 1 teachers, along with a nominated literacy specialist, through the PLD website. Literacy specialists include RTLits, Kāhui AKo Cross-community Leads, School Literacy Leads, Learning Support Coordinators and RTLBs with a strong literacy background.
Attached is a presentation that has recently been provided to the sector. This presentation provides information about the early literacy approach and, in particular, the professional support currently provided for schools; the Better Start Literacy Approach. The presentation outlines the nature of this professional support and how to access it.
More information will be published in the Education Gazette and the Bulletin for School Leaders early in 2021.
Early Literacy Approach
(PowerPoint 2007 4 MB)