The government's changes wasted the time and money already spent implementing the curriculum, say maths education experts. Photo: 123RF
Criticism of the government's curriculum changes is growing, as it prepares to publish the remaining primary school learning areas today.
In a series of open letters, maths education experts have expressed "deep concern"; dance, drama, music and visual arts teachers said they had been "dealt a significant blow"; and PE teachers asked to pause the release of their draft curriculum.
Their letters were prompted by a recent rewrite of the maths curriculum that primary schools had been teaching since the start of the year, and by early indications of what would be in draft arts and health and physical education curriculums, scheduled to be published today.
Today's letter from 44 maths education experts said recent changes to the maths curriculum "seem more political than educational".
"This is unfair to teachers, but, more importantly, it is potentially damaging to learners," it said.
The letter said the rewrite contained multiple errors, and wasted the time and money already spent implementing the curriculum.
It said the latest version was overcrowded with "an unrealistic number of learning objectives".
"In the first year of schooling, there are 86 objectives (across knowledge and practices). This compares with 30 objectives in the 2024 version of the NZ curriculum and contrasts with the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Australia curricula which have between 12 to 28 objectives. Too many objectives means that children will not be able to learn core concepts due to cognitive overload and insufficient time for practice," it said.
"Some objectives are directly copied from the Australian curriculum and used at the same year level without the consideration that Australian students are one year older with an extra year of schooling given a different level year system (their system is kindergarten to year 12 rather than year 1-13)."
The letter said teachers were not being given enough time to learn the new curriculum.
Meanwhile, organisations representing physical education, dance, drama, music, and visual arts teachers made a last-ditch attempt to pause the release of their draft curriculums ahead of today's scheduled release.
In an open letter to the Education Ministry and to Education Minister Erica Stanford the four arts teacher groups said they were "blindsided" by an initial indication of what would be in their curriculum which they said had "dealt us and the arts education community a significant blow".
It said the curriculum would narrow and diminish arts teaching in primary schools and place drama and dance in a performing arts framework.
It said the New Zealand arts curriculum was highly-regarded overseas, but the indicated changes were not world-leading.
"This framework shows a total lack of understanding of our disciplines and undermines our associations' mahi over many years. We also see no mention of indigenous arts knowledges here - what will this mean for our extensive Māori and Pasifika arts community? We fear that this arts curriculum will not look like an Aotearoa New Zealand curriculum," the letter said.
"We have been blindsided with this announcement; you have dealt us and the arts education community a significant blow and denied future students a world leading arts curriculum. We are deeply concerned and strongly oppose this move. We firmly urge you to rethink this proposed framework and remove this draft from being launched on the 28th October."
Physical Education New Zealand's open letter to Stanford said material emerging from the curriculum rewrite did "not reflect the research, evidence and disciplinary base that underpins the learning area, or the intent of a genuinely knowledge-rich curriculum".
"The content and framing that have appeared in recent presentations differ markedly from the evidence-informed understandings we shared through our involvement. What is currently signalled does not reflect the depth or balance that characterises high-quality physical education locally and internationally," it said.
"We respectfully request the release of the health and physical education curriculum be paused and that we have an opportunity to meet with you to discuss our concerns and offer our support before the draft curriculum is released publicly."
Earlier this month, 650 primary school principals - belonging to teacher union the Educational Institute Te Riu Roa - urged Stanford to pause her curriculum changes.
The Education Ministry has been approached for comment.
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