New Zealand Curriculum Draft from a primary perspective

Abstract

The recently released New Zealand Curriculum Draft for Consultation (Ministry of Education 2006a) sets out the Government’s expectations of what school students should be able to
achieve by the time they leave school.

The writers explore the vision and intentions of the New Zealand Curriculum Draft, to prepare students for the future, within the wider context of New Zealand’s transformation to a ‘knowledge’ society and global competitiveness. In order to understand the challenges to a national provision of curriculum that the changing environment brings, the writers reflect also on the international and national contexts within which this New Zealand Curriculum Draft has been developed
and the forces which have shaped it.

The writers’ purpose to draw teachers into the discussion is achieved by posing a number of questions. The implications of the need for additional support and resourcing, to ensure schools can meet the aims of the curriculum draft and government expectations, are also canvassed.