Government actions in schooling

Government is taking action through the Education Work Programme to support schools and kura to implement the Statement of National Education and Learning Priorities (NELP).

The drop down menus below indicate where initiatives of the Education Work Programme have actions or commitments announced that align with the NELP.

Priorities and actions for schools and kura [PDF, 159 KB]

Priority 1: 
Ensure places of learning are safe, inclusive and free from racism, discrimination and bullying

Priority 2: 
Have high aspirations for every learner/ākonga, and support these by partnering with their whānau and communities to design and deliver education that responds to their needs, and sustains their identities, languages, and cultures

Priority 3: 
Reduce barriers to education for all, including for Māori and Pacific learners/ākonga, disabled learners/ākonga and those with learning support needs

Priority 4: 
Ensure every learner/ākonga gains sound foundation skills, including language, literacy and numeracy

Priority 5: 
Meaningfully incorporate te reo Māori and tikanga Māori into the everyday life of the place of learning

Priority 6: 
Develop staff to strengthen teaching, leadership and learner support capability across the education workforce

Priority 7: 
Collaborate with industries and employers to ensure learners/ākonga have the skills, knowledge and pathways to succeed in work

Priority 8: 
Enhance the contribution of research and mātauranga Māori in addressing local and global challenges (TES ONLY)

Education Work Programme items

Raising achievement for Māori learners

 Priority 1 Priority 2 Priority 3 Priority 4 Priority 5 Priority 6

Delivering Te Hurihanganui to address racism, strengthen equity and accelerate Māori educational achievement and wellbeing

 

Investing in professional learning and development to raise critical consciousness and support cultural capabilities, including Te Hurihanganui

 

Support places of learning to build their capability to identify and understand learner/ākonga needs and barriers

 

Providing high quality Māori-medium education, including developing a long-term Education Workforce Strategy and Rāngai Māori, a Network Plan, and reviewing funding rates

Allocating $200 million to support ākonga Māori and whānau to reconnect and succeed in education post COVID-19 and strengthen the integration of te reo Māori into all students’ learning

Extending Te Ahu o te reo Māori to support the education workforce to integrate te reo Māori into their practice

 

 

Implementing Toikuranui to develop local education initiatives with iwi, and Pae Aronui to support great partnerships between whānau and education services.

 

 

Strengthening the delivery of Māori Language in Education, including support for the education workforce, resource development, and information for learners/ākonga and their whānau

 

 

 

 

 

Delivering Kauwhata Reo, the online hub for te reo Māori resources, and the development of localised te reo Māori curriculum resources through Te Aho Ngārahu

 

Raising achievement for Pacific learners

Priority 1

Priority 2

Priority 3

Priority 6

Implement the actions committed to in the Action Plan for Pacific Education

 

Deliver locally focused PLD priorities, with a focus on cultural capability, inclusion and critical consciousness

 

Funding innovative Pacific education initiatives that respond to curriculum and wellbeing needs exacerbated by COVID-19

Expanding the delivery of Tautai o le Moana, an educational leadership collaboration which seeks to strengthen the capabilities of those in leadership, to improve outcomes and support the wellbeing of Pacific learners

Investing in and supporting the development of programmes and pathways for learning in Pacific languages 

Deliver Talanoa Ako programme to support Pacific families

 

Establishing a joint initiative between Education, Health and Social Development to support Pacific families to access the services they need to thrive

Deliver evidence-based, targeted, intensive Developing Mathematical Communities of Inquiry (DMIC) to schools with high numbers of Pacific learners

 

Developing professional learning resources based on the Tapasā: Cultural competencies framework for teachers of Pacific learners

Funding Pacific community organisations and groups to respond to the education and wellbeing needs of Pacific families and support strong relationships with education providers

 

 

Supporting the development of programmes and pathways for learning in Pacific languages

 

 

Reform of the Tomorrow's Schools system

Priority 1

Priority 2

Priority 3

Priority 4

Priority 5

Priority 6

Amend the Education Act to make it clear that providing an emotionally and physically safe environment is a key objective of school boards 

Amend the Education Act to require boards to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi as one of their key objectives

 

Amend the Education Act to provide for the establishment of disputes resolution panels

 

Establish a nationally-based Curriculum Centre to enable effective delivery of the New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa

Amend the Education Act to require school boards to take all reasonable steps to provide Te Reo Māori

 

Introducing mechanisms to improve school board of trustee skills and accountability, including mandatory training and a code of conduct

Introduce a mandatory code of conduct for school boards to support good governance

 

Amend the Education Act to shift responsibility for the development and consultation of enrolment schemes to the Ministry of Education

 

 

Advice on strengthening

collaborative networks across the system, including any changes to Kāhui Ako

 

 

 

 

 

Enabling principal eligibility criteria

 

 

 

 

 

Establish a Leadership Centre within the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand

Education Workforce strategy

Priority 5

Priority 6

Implement Ka Hikitia and develop skills and capacity in the education workforce

 Resetting national priorities for PLD to focus on core curriculum capabilities and assessment approaches that enable a more inclusive and equitable education system

Reform of the funding system for early learning and schooling

 Priority 3

School Donations Scheme

 

Comprehensive reform of school property

 Priority 3

School Property Strategy 2030

 

Curriculum and assessment (includes CPA and NCEA review)

 Priority 1 Priority 2 Priority 3 Priority 4 Priority 5 Priority 7

Providing tools and guidance, such as Not Part of My World toolkit, to confront and eliminate racism

Developing tools for rich records of learning to capture aspirations, strengths and learning progress

 

Fees-free NCEA

 

Developing tools to support kaiako and teachers’ understanding of children’s learning progress, including for early learning, school and kura entry assessment, and social-emotional learning along the pathways

Work closely with Māori-medium leaders to invest in Māori-Medium pathways

Develop tools and information to support learners/ākonga to have a personalised career pathway that allows them to move between education and employment, and that supports displaced workers

Refreshing the Relationship and Sexuality Education Guidelines in the New Zealand Curriculum

 

Providing tools to empower families and whānau to better understand and support education

Support schools and kura to ensure appropriate qualifications and awards are in reach for all learners/ākonga

Supporting implementation of the digital technologies/ hangarau matihiko curriculum

 

Strengthen how Te Marautanga o Aotearoa reflects te ao Māori approaches to education while continuing to reflect what whānau, hapū and iwi deem to be important for their children and young people

Implement NCEA Change Package to enhance education pathways for learners/ākonga, and support their transition into further education and employment

 

Strengthening the Māori-medium pathway in partnership with Māori to ensure the education system is responsive to meeting the needs and aspirations of ākonga Māori and their whānau

NCEA change: Special Assessment Conditions

Renew the New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa to make clear the learning that is too important to leave to chance

 

Implement the NCEA Change Package to support parity for mātauranga Māori and increasing opportunities to follow Māori-medium pathways

Supporting learners/ākonga post-school through the School Leavers Toolkit

 

 

Updating the National Curricula so Aotearoa New Zealand histories will be taught in all schools and kura

Support coherent secondary/tertiary learning pathways, achievement, and transition to employment

Implement the NCEA Change Package to strengthen literacy and numeracy requirements, and strengthen supports

 

Valuing vocational education pathways by awarding the Prime Minister’s Vocational Education Awards

 

Strengthening how The New Zealand Curriculum supports schools to bring Te Tiriti o Waitangi to life in local curriculum

 

 

 

 

Learning Support Action Plan

Priority 2 Priority 3  Priority 6

Developing a national learning support network plan to support learners/ākonga with additional needs to transition in education

Review of alternative education, and of the stand-downs, suspensions, exclusions and expulsion (SSEE) guidelines

Providing funding for teacher aides to access professional learning

 

Reviewing existing supports for children and young people with high levels of need, and by fully participating in the Learning Support Delivery Model

 

Investing in wellbeing/Child and Youth Wellbeing strategy

 Priority 1Priority 2 Priority 3 

Increasing access to guidance counselling for primary and secondary students

Empowering learners/ākonga to have their voices heard

Free access to sanitary products

Allocating $50 million to provide immediate support for wellbeing issues for learners/ākonga in early learning services, schools and kura, as a result of the COVID-19 lockdown, or lockdown-related hardships

 

School Lunch programme

 

Working with Netsafe to provide the Netsafe Schools Programme

 

 

Supporting the Keep It Real Online multimedia campaign

 

 

Providing resources for teachers/kaiako through The Respectful Relationships toolkit

 

 

Establishing Curriculum Leads

 

 

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