1.2.1 Aims, objectives, values, principles
Government statements about the purposes of education are contained in speeches by Ministers and Directors General of Education, budget statements etc. 10
In a June 1997 information document, the Minister of Education expressed the Government's objectives for education as follows:
To secure our economic and social future, New Zealand needs an education system which:
We need to build on New Zealand's record of educational achievements and improve our education by:
Four key strategies are driving the Government's approach. They are:
Attitudes and values, along with knowledge and skills, are an integral part of the New Zealand Curriculum. The following values underpin the curriculum:
The specific ways in which these values find expression in an individual school are guided by dialogue between the school and its community. They should be evident in the school's philosophy, structures , curriculum, classrooms and relationships.
The New Zealand Government has established education as the core of the nation's effort to achieve economic and social progress. In recognition of the fundamental importance of education, the Government has set the following 'Goals for the Education system of New Zealand':
The National Education Goals, cited above, are part of the National Education Guidelines for New Zealand. These set out:
The New Zealand Government aims, through early childhood education,
to provide a sound foundation in the early years for future learning and achievement, with full participation and achievement by Maori in all areas of education, to achieve equality of educational opportunity for all to reach their potential and take their full place in society, and success in learning for those with special needs.19
Specifically, the Government's goals are to:
New Zealand's Early Childhood Strategic Planning Working Group has further recommended four major directions for improvement in early childhood education provision:
The Government has also published a ten-year Strategic Plan for Early Childhood Education - 'Pathways to the Future (Nga Huaraki Arataki)'. For further information, see http://www.minedu.govt.nz/ - 'Early Childhood' section).
New curriculum for New Zealand
At the beginning of November 2007, the New Zealand Curriculum for English-medium teaching and learning was released. Its principal function is to set the direction for student learning and to provide guidance for schools as they design and review their curriculum. A parallel document Te Marautanga o Aotearoa will serve the same function for Maori medium schools. The new curriculum is the result of an extensive process of development and consultation (details of which are online). It will replace the previous curriculum which was developed in the 1980s.
The vision for the new curriculum is to create young people who will be confident, connected, actively involved, lifelong learners. It includes five key competencies students need: thinking; relating to others; using language, symbols and texts; managing self; and participating and contributing. It also includes eight learning areas: English, the arts, health and physical education, learning languages, mathematics and statistics, science, social science, and technology.
Further information is available on the New Zealand curriculum website.
Consultation on initial teacher training
A discussion document on the development of initial teacher training in New Zealand has been published. The document focuses on seven proposals to better assure the quality of teaching graduates and teachers moving from provisional to full registration, as well as the quality of advice and guidance programmes during teacher induction. The consultation is available online.
New strategy for international education
The New Zealand Government has launched a strategy for international education from 2007 to 2012. This goes beyond a traditional focus on hosting international students and provides a framework for the wide variety of international education providers, including primary and secondary schools, higher education institutions, private training establishments and English-language schools. The strategy aims to ensure that students:
The Strategy is available online.
The New Zealand Qualifications Authority has launched its first Maori strategic plan, which runs from 2007 to 2012. The plan identifies key factors to encourage Maori learners including: multiple pathways to undertake higher education and training; high-quality courses and providers, with outcomes linked to employability, positive participation in society and strengthened cultural identity; integrated and collaborative learning; and opportunities to excel in both Maori communities The full strategy is available online.
Healthy and active young people
The Ministry of Education has launched a programme to support children and young people from birth to 24 years in making healthy lifestyle choices, with a view to improving educational outcomes and their physical health. 'Mission-On' is a broad-based package of initiatives aimed at improving nutrition and reversing declining levels of physical activity amongst young people. The ten key initiatives are designed to build on and improve existing programmes. Further information is available online.
Literacy and numeracy strategy
The New Zealand Literacy and Numeracy Strategy does not comprise a single, discrete project. The strategy aims to provide a device to provide alignment and consistency for a range of policies, programmes, and projects all focused on improving achievement in literacy and numeracy. Further information is available via the literacy and numeracy strategy website.
Information and communications technology
In 1998, the Government developed New Zealand's first national strategy for information and communications technology (ICT). The goals of this strategy were to build infrastructure, school capability and ICT programmes. It was followed in July 2001 by a discussion document (draft strategy for 2002-2004) and then in June 2002 by the new strategy 'Digital Horizons: Learning through ICT'. This strategy focused on the challenge of integrating ICT more fully into curriculum practice by supporting new ways of teaching and learning. A revised 'ICT Strategic Framework for Education' was released for consultation in December 2006 across the whole education sector. Feedback was sought to establish what the priorities and needs are for education organisations in relation to ICT. The feedback will inform the next iteration of the Framework. The Framework is available online.
Provision for gifted and talented students.
The National Administration Guidelines (NAGs) for school administration which:
have been amended to specifically include gifted students. As a result, since the beginning of 2005, it has been mandatory for all publicly-funded schools to demonstrate how they are meeting the needs of their gifted and talented learners.