Te Marautanga o Aotearoa will, for the first time, include a detailed curriculum in te reo Māori, alongside new subjects such as Tātai Arorangi (Māori traditional systems of Earth and Sky), Te Ao Whakairo (Māori carving) and other Te Ao Māori subjects.
Opposition education spokesperson Willow-Jean Prime points to the irony of the Minister’s stance on 6 Māori words in a childrens book to introducing these changes to marautanga.
“Ko tēnei Minita i tango i ngā kupu e ono mai i ngā pukapuka o ngā tamariki, inaianei e whakahīhī ana mo ngā kaupapa kātahi anō ka puta mai. He pai tērā mo te marautanga i rongo ahau ētahi o ngā kōrero tautoko.”
“Engari kua rongo hoki ahau mai i ngā kōrero mai i ngā kura auraki pēhea oti rātou nā te mea ka whakaako te New Zealand Curriculum engari ehara te Marautanga.”
The Government says it is ensuring young New Zealanders are prepared for the jobs of tomorrow, unveiling new “future focused” senior secondary school subjects.
“When our young people leave school, we want doors to open for them whether they’re going to tertiary study, learning a trade, or heading straight into work. These refreshed subjects will provide students with choice, purposeful pathways and opportunities for specialisation that set them up for success,” Education Minister Erica Stanford said.
She said the Years 11–13 curriculum subjects being developed include many already available, some new offerings, and others renamed, reorganised or refocused to create knowledge-rich subjects and clearer pathways.
“Students will be able to specialise in areas such as Earth and Space Science, Statistics and Data Science, and Electronics and Mechatronics. There will also be a range of new specialist maths subjects including Further Maths.”
Other new subjects include:
- Civics, Politics and Philosophy
- Media, Journalism and Communications
- Te Mātai i te Ao Māori
- Pacific Studies
- Music Technology
Stanford said the curriculum will also reflect the rise of artificial intelligence.
“With the rapid development of AI, students will also be able to learn about and use generative AI in a range of subjects. This may include learning about how digital systems work, machine learning, cybersecurity, and digital ethics. We will also investigate a new Year 13 specialist subject on Generative AI for later development.”
