introduction to the history of new zealand education

Introduction to the history of New Zealand education

By elizabeth rata.

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"An overview of the New Zealand education system from the nineteenth century to the present"--Back cover.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

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Table of Contents

Thinking historically: Maori and settler education / Maxine Stephenson -- New Zealand education in the twentieth century / Scott Ray -- Early childhood education / Iris Duhn -- Towards total safety / Ros Sullivan -- New Zealand teachers / Margaret McLean -- Immigration, languages and education / Sue Gray -- Pasifika education: Historical themes / Airini, Manutai Leaupepe, Seiuli Luama Sauni, Patisepa Tuafuti, & Meaola Amituanai-Toloa -- Socio-economic class and Maori education / Elizabeth Rata -- Girls then, boys now? / Louisa Allen -- Disability and education / Rod Wills -- Contributor biographies -- Index -- Legislation.

About the Author

Dr Elizabeth Rata is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at The University of Auckland and a Fulbright Senior Scholar. Her internationally published research examines the politics of ethnicity as a major force in contemporary social change, with a focus on the use of ethnic and indigenous ideologies by emergent class elites. Her major work is A Political Economy of Neotribal Capitalism (Lexington Books, 2000). She has edited (with Professor Roger Openshaw), Public Policy and Ethnicity, The Politics of Ethnic Boundary-Making (Houndmills: Palgrave MacMillan, 2006), and Cultural Politics in New Zealand, (Pearson, forthcoming). Her teaching includes the Master's course, Education, Culture and Identity along with undergraduate and doctoral programmes. Ros Sullivan is a senior lecturer in the school of Critical Studies in Education at the Faculty of Education. Her research interests are teacher education, risk society, health and safety, outdoor education and death studies. She is completing her doctoral study in these areas.

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Introducing Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories and Te Takanga o Te Wā

By Education Gazette editors

Issue: Volume 101, Number 5

The first instalment of The New Zealand Curriculum refresh and the redesign of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa has arrived. 

The images in this article show students exploring a significant part of Aotearoa New Zealand's histories.

The final content for new Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories and Te Takanga o Te Wā was released in March 2022 to give kura and schools an opportunity to engage with the materials prior to implementation from 2023. 

The new curriculum content will support ākonga to be critical thinkers and understand the past in order to make sense of the present and inform our future. It will incorporate learning from a range of perspectives at a local and national level. 

This broadening of the curriculum to include challenging aspects of our history is welcomed by Dr Hana O’Regan, Tumu Whakarae of CORE Education. 

“When our knowledge of history is restricted, we restrict ourselves to having empathy, almost putting boxes around certain conversations because of the anxiety of feeling bad about them. And you don’t grow in that environment. You don’t grow in terms of your understanding of self, you don’t know how to learn from the past, so we, in the end, keep on repeating the same mistakes.”

Wally Penetito, retired professor of Māori Education at Victoria University of Wellington, agrees. “I just think if people know themselves historically, as well as contemporary, they’re better off because they kind of understand where they come from and how things happened, that it didn’t just happen yesterday, that it’s something that goes back in history.”

Hana adds that this has been a long time coming. 

“We’ve got an incredible opportunity in front of us, an incredible opportunity that is the biggest opportunity that I’ve seen in my lifetime within the education system and as a community to grow up, to grow up as a country, to stand up as a country, and to be brave enough to really, truly understand who we are.”

A long journey

The process to achieve this new opportunity began in 2018 when a Ministerial Advisory Group was formed to provide advice on strengthening the design and use of local curriculum, as well as improving ākonga progress and achievement. The Advisory Group identified focus areas for Māori medium and English medium settings which shaped the recommendations to Cabinet, including addressing aspects of trust and equity.

These recommendations supported the development of ‘new strategies and responses to create the conditions to empower all ākonga and their whānau to thrive in a changing world, and to meet the challenge of addressing educational inequity.’

In September 2019, in response to the recommendations along with calls from interest groups, Minister of Education Chris Hipkins announced the need to update Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and The New Zealand Curriculum to ensure equitable outcomes and that it is fit-for-purpose, with a stronger focus on the wellbeing, identities, languages and cultures of all ākonga. 

As part of this, Minister Hipkins says that Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories would be taught in all schools and kura from 2022, which has now been revised to 2023 to give schools and kura more time to engage with curriculum content.  

Minister Hipkins states: “When we’re doing something as significant as rolling out new curriculum content, we want to make sure that schools can do that properly, that the teachers have got time to prepare because obviously, they’ve got new lesson plans, new curriculum resources.”

The next stage in the process occurred in 2020 when two Curriculum Writing Groups drafted content for Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories in The New Zealand Curriculum and Te Takanga o Te Wā in Te Marautanga o Aotearoa . This content was subjected to three types of testing that was undertaken in 2021. 

The first testing was a survey on the draft content which provided responses from 157 kura and schools, or groups of kura/schools. Ten wānanga gave feedback on Te Takanga o Te Wā. 

The second means of testing was trialling the draft content, which was carried out by teachers, kaiako and leaders in around 60 schools and 20 kura.  

The third testing used a public online survey that was available alongside the draft curriculum content, which received 4,491 survey responses and 488 submissions. Feedback was also received via face-to-face engagements. 

CORE Education was part of the classroom trialling and was provided opportunities to contribute to the feedback. 

“ I’ve been able to put some things on the table and challenge, for instance, the role that iwi have in terms of the process to develop the curriculum, and about how their stories have been incorporated into the process, and where the thinking has been,” explains Hana.

Reports on recommended changes were developed by the Ministry of Education, members of the Peer Review Group (subgroup of Ohu Matua), members of the Social Sciences Writing Group (for Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories), and He Whakaruruhau (for both Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories and Te Takanga o Te Wā). After these recommendations were agreed upon, writers, comprising community groups, curriculum writing groups, and historians from Ohu Matua, made changes to the draft content. This was followed by further consultation with He Whakaruruhau.

In 2022, the Government finalised Te Takanga o Te Wā and Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories curriculum content for publication, leading to the release in March.

Strength of the new structure

According to Hana, the new curriculum allows for a stronger sense of identity and belonging. 

“Knowing our histories, learning our histories, teaching our histories, means that we can start to challenge and erode the misconceptions, the untruths that we have heard as a society for many generations now, that also influence the way that we engage with each other, that we think about each other, the perceptions that we have about ‘other’ and about ourselves,” she says.

Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories is structured around levels as phases of learning in a progressions model. This gives clarity about the direction of learning and the key outcomes that matter across the phases. It pieces the learning together so that the progress described in The New Zealand Curriculum is easily seen. The content for Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories covers the first four phases of learning from Year 1 until Year 10.

There are three elements to the Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories curriculum content: Understand, Know, and Do. 

These elements are not separate, and do not operate in a sequence. Instead teachers weave the elements to create learning that is deep and meaningful to the contexts of their own classrooms. 

‘Understand’ relates to the big ideas surrounding Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories that connect students to their learning to help ensure that the learning is not just important but also relevant to the ākonga and their whānau and community.  

‘Know’ is exploring rich contexts that come from stories, events, and people from local rohe, hapū, iwi so that learners can help to understand what has shaped the world that they live in. 

‘Do’ involves thinking critically about the past and interpreting stories from it. It allows the students to consider and take actions based on valid information from various sources that have multiple perspectives.  

Te Takanga o Te Wā is designed as a new whenu (strand) for the learning that takes place under the Tikanga ā-Iwi wāhanga ako. Currently there are four strands, Te Whakaritenga Pāpori me te Ahurea, Te Ao Hurihuri, Te Wāhi me te Taiao, and Ngā Mahinga Ohaoha. 

Te Takanga o Te Wā will make a fifth strand and is based on He Tamaiti Hei Raukura, a conceptual framework composed of four core aspects that cannot be left to chance.

These are recognising ākonga as ‘he uri whakaheke’ (as a descendant), ‘he tangata’ (as a person), ‘he puna kōrero’ (as a communicator), and ‘he ākonga’ (as a learner).

He Tamaiti Hei Raukura aims for ākonga to develop skills and abilities that will enable them to succeed in a changing world, by immersing Māori knowledge in the Māori world.

There are two ways in which ākonga will explore history. The first is ākonga learning about themselves and their world. The second is exploring connections to the wider world. The skills learnt will support ākonga as uri whakaheke (descendants), who bring with them their own unique backgrounds and ancestral stories and will help ākonga to underst and their own identity as Māori in Aotearoa. 

The new curriculum will benefit both Māori and non-Māori by exploring areas not previously discussed within kura and schools, Wally explains. 

“The first schools that Māori went to, everyone, all the students, knew Māori, te reo. But the first thing that schools set out to do was to cut it out, to stop it. Schools played a real important role in that whole business of cultural denial of forcing people to hide it, or to eventually to forget it. So, we do have Māori in today’s world who don’t really know much about this stuff either. It’s not just Pākehā who don’t know this stuff, many Māori don’t either.”

The critical inquiry that is part of the new curriculum will help ākonga evaluate their history and their place in the world which will allow them to become better citizens – not just of Aotearoa but globally. 

Hana says, “I believe understanding our Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories, understanding who we are in connecting us to our tūrangawaewae, to our place in time, understanding the historical circumstances that have influenced who we are, the interactions, the cultures, the languages, the space, the environment – that creates a much stronger person at an individual level, or stronger community at a local level, and at a national level – that will then help us develop that confidence within a global environment.”

Schools and kura are encouraged to investigate the newly released resources 

• Te Takanga o Te Wā (external link) final content and resources.
• Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories (external link) final content and resources.
• More information about the redesign of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (external link)  .
• More information about the refresh of The New Zealand Curriculum (external link) .

BY Education Gazette editors Education Gazette | Tukutuku Kōrero, [email protected]

Posted: 1:58 pm, 27 April 2022

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Introduction To The History Of New Zealand Education

RATA Elizabeth / SULLIVAN Ross

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Education in New Zealand

Our education system reflects our unique and diverse society, which welcomes different abilities, religious beliefs, ethnic groups, income levels and ideas about teaching and learning.

About our education system

Early childhood education, primary and secondary education, further education.

Education in New Zealand is a student-centred pathway providing continuous learning progression and choice so that:

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• their learning at 1 level sets the foundation for the next steps along a chosen pathway.

New Zealand's education system has 3 levels:

• early childhood education: from birth to school entry age
• primary and secondary education: from 5–19 years of age 
• further education: higher and vocational education.

Our education system reflects our unique and diverse society. We welcome different abilities, religious beliefs, ethnic groups, income levels and ideas about teaching and learning. We have processes in place to give our students consistent, high-quality education at all levels.

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New Zealand’s education system is supported by a number of agencies, each with responsibility for different aspects of the system. See our education agencies page for information about the roles and responsibilities of these agencies.

Early learning helps children to be confident and curious about the world. It helps your child to do better when they go to school or kura and it helps them develop important skills to become strong, happy and successful in later life.

Early childhood education (ECE) is not compulsory but around 96.8% of children attend ECE.

There are different types of ECE services and all learning that children experience at an ECE service or kōhanga reo is guided by the Te Whāriki curriculum framework.

Different kinds of early childhood education – Parents and whānau (external link)

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The government subsidises all children who attend ECE for up to 6 hours a day (a total of 30 hours per week).

The 20 Hours ECE is a higher funding subsidy available for all children aged 3–5 years who attend ECE.

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You can learn more about how ECE works in New Zealand on the Parents section of this website.

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Primary and secondary schools are the second level of education.

Your child's education is free between the ages of 5 and 19 at state schools (schools that are government owned and funded) if they are a New Zealand citizen or a permanent resident.

Schooling is compulsory from age 6–16. In the majority of schools, your child can start school on the day they turn 5 years old (they don't have to wait until the start of a new school year). However, some schools have a policy of starting children at school together as a group at the start of each term (cohort entry). Most children stay at school until they are around 17 years old.

The education system for schools is made up of 13 year levels. Your child's primary education starts at Year 1 and goes to Year 8 (around 5–12 years of age). Your child's secondary education goes from Year 9 to Year 13 (around 13–17 years of age).

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Māori-medium education is where students are taught all or some curriculum subjects in the Māori language for at least 51% of the time (Māori language immersion levels 1-2).

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The vast majority of children and students attend their local school or early learning centre and learn and achieve alongside their peers. 

Additional learning support is available in every local early childhood centre or school. It is planned to support students, educators, families and whānau in a range of different ways depending on individual needs.

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If attending a school isn't the best option (you might live a long way from the nearest school, travel overseas or have other reasons) your child can learn with New Zealand's correspondence school, Te Aho o Te Kura Pounamu (Te Kura).

Te Kura teaches early childhood, primary, secondary and special needs students using multimedia and online learning. Your child can also study 1 or 2 courses if a subject they want to study isn't available at their school.

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Trades academies teach trades and technology programmes to students in Years 11–13 (ages 15–18). They are run through schools and other providers.

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Institutes of technology and polytechnics teach professional and vocational education and training from introductory studies to degrees.

Industry training organisations represent particular industries (for example, agriculture, building and construction, motor trade). They offer training and qualifications for those sectors. They funded by the government and industry.

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Private training

Private training establishments offer specific vocational courses at certificate and diploma level (for example, travel and tourism).

Study and train at private training establishments – Careers NZ (external link)

New Zealand has 3 wānanga (state-owned Māori teaching and research institutions). They teach according to āhuatanga Māori (Māori tradition) and tikanga Māori (Māori custom). They offer certificates, diplomas and degrees. Some teach in specialised areas up to doctorate level.

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New Zealand has 8 state-funded universities. Each university offers degrees in a large choice of subjects and has strengths in specialised professional degrees.

All of the universities are well recognised internationally. They work with universities in other countries on research and teaching programmes, and with the business community in New Zealand and overseas on research and development.

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Technology Education in the New Zealand Curriculum: History and Rationale

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• First Online: 22 September 2017
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• Louise Milne 2  

Part of the book series: Springer International Handbooks of Education ((SIHE))

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The implementation of technology education in the New Zealand school curriculum has undergone a challenging and extensive period of research, consultation, development, program trials, and curriculum review, culminating in the publication of the 2007 curriculum. This chapter outlines a history of technology education in New Zealand from the very early days of technical education in the 1900s, through to the development of the 1995 and the 2007 technology education curriculum. A brief reflection on the origins of technology is included, followed by an overview of the philosophy of technology and how the beliefs and visions of researchers and curriculum developers have formed and shaped the 2007 New Zealand technology education curriculum. While there may have been missed opportunities along the way, there is much to celebrate. In the immediate future the successes of this forward thinking and exciting subject require further consolidation and a determined effort from the technology community to continue to develop and promote technology education through the opportunities which are presenting in New Zealand in 2016 – and whatever may follow.

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Milne, L. (2018). Technology Education in the New Zealand Curriculum: History and Rationale. In: de Vries, M. (eds) Handbook of Technology Education. Springer International Handbooks of Education. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-44687-5_10

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Learn about when NCEA was introduced, why it was needed and how it has changed over the years

What is NCEA?

The National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) is New Zealand’s main secondary school qualification and was introduced between 2002 and 2004.

NCEA replaced:

• School Certificate qualifications
• University Entrance qualifications
• Sixth Form Certificate and
• University Bursary qualifications.

Since its introduction, the qualification has evolved to reflect the changing world young people are living in. Changes have been made to recognise the diverse needs of learners and ensure they are equipped with the right skills for further education and employment.

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Why was ncea introduced , vocational skills and knowledge previously not recognised.

Previously, secondary school qualifications had a strong focus on academic subjects. Students interested in vocational subjects couldn’t get qualifications in those subjects or gain recognition for their skills and knowledge.

Reliance on exams

Secondary school qualifications relied heavily on exams (external assessment) meaning not all a student’s learning throughout the year was considered. Also, students were graded against their peers, with only a limited number of students allowed to pass each year.

NCEA recognises students competencies and skills

NCEA provides a fuller picture of a student’s competencies and skills. Assessment is continuous throughout the year, so everything the student completes counts towards their qualification. A student is graded against the outcomes of a standard. Any student who demonstrates the required knowledge and skills of a standard achieves the NCEA credit.

NCEA allows more students to gain qualifications

Since NCEA was introduced, more students are leaving school with qualifications. NCEA is accepted both in New Zealand and overseas by most employers and tertiary education providers.

Its placement on the 10-level New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (previously the National Qualifications Framework) shows how it fits more broadly into the New Zealand education system and the pathways in offers into further academic and vocational education.

How has NCEA changed since it was introduced? 

Since its introduction, NCEA has evolved to become a more flexible and inclusive model of education. NCEA recognises and caters to the diverse needs of students and their different learning pathways.

NCEA certificate endorsement

Key changes include introducing the NCEA certificate endorsement, designed to recognise student achievement at Merit or Excellence across all learning areas. This has been further expanded to include endorsement for strong performance in individual courses.

About NCEA endorsements

Newly aligned standards introduced

The Ministry of Education has reviewed standards against the New Zealand Curriculum and newly aligned standards have been introduced progressively.

NCEA online

As part of NZQA’s Future State initiative, NZQA introduced NCEA Online as an option in external exams. NCEA Online allows students to be assessed online, using a computer instead of traditional pen and paper.

This 21st century approach to digital assessment will support innovation in teaching and learning and will change along with evolving technology.

Timeline of events that led to NCEA

This table shows the events that took place that eventually resulted in NCEA being implemented in NZ. This table and information is taken from a research paper by Bill Lennox about the origins of NCEA.

1990 and beyond

By 1990 the writing was on the wall. But little of it was legible. Even at the end of that decade much remained unfulfilled, despite three dramatic developments of the nineties:

• The national curriculum that was introduced for schools was based squarely on written descriptions of learning outcomes for the separate aspects of each subject.
• For the first time, all secondary qualifications were administered by one government agency, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
• The National Qualifications Framework had a demonstrable impact, especially in schools that were trying to introduce more varied and flexible learning in response to increased senior school retention rates.

But some of the evolution and advocacy had been absorbed into the system. There was full or partial internal assessment in about two thirds of School Certificate and Bursaries subjects. Many examination prescriptions described outcomes and objectives, rather than just content.

In 1998, when government policy was being finalised, NCEA was described by some as a way out of the so-called "dual system": unit standards and the traditional examination based awards. Schools could offer either or both.

Of course, it was not a "system" at all. It was a discordant medley resulting from years of uncoordinated and unresolved incremental change. Government's intention throughout the nineties had been to remove the examination-based system once the Framework was in place. (In 1993 the aim was to base all national schools qualifications on unit standards by 1997.)

The NCEA can be seen as a blend of the Framework and the traditional examination based awards. Most see it as a compromise. But it is also a sensible and inevitable product of the previous 30 years.

One thing that officials, politicians, principals and teachers do agree on is that the NCEA will change over time. Perhaps an understanding of the continuum that brought us, however haltingly, to the NCEA will make it clear where we should be going over the next few years.

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