Designing A School Based Curriculum: Te Marautanga-ā-Kura

While Te Marautanga o Aotearoa provides a nationwide teaching approach for all learners, each school will design and implement its own specific curriculum relevant to its learners and whānau.

The Board of Trustees, the whānau and the teachers should work together to develop a curriculum for the school.

Possible starting points for designing a school-based curriculum are:

• our learners 
• the overarching principles 
• principles of the school, principles of Te Aho Matua, of iwi
• achievement objectives from each learning area of Te Marautanga o Aotearoa
• values and the attitudes of the school and whānau
• aspects of Māori language and its customs 
• educational achievement 
• teaching and learning 
• types of assessment.

Te Marautanga o Aotearoa is a guide to teaching practices in Māori-medium schools in New Zealand. However, the Curriculum is merely a framework – it is not a complete teaching plan or teaching programme. Therefore, schools will need to develop their own school-based curriculum. Each school will decide where to start. Schools following Te Aho Matua will use that as the foundation for developing a curriculum. Kura ā-iwi will follow its own unique charter. Each school will also have its own approach to developing its teaching and learning programmes. For example, programmes may be planned according to learning area, topic or context.

A board’s primary objectives [1] in governing a school are to ensure that: 

• Every student at their school can attain their highest possible standard in educational achievement 
• The school: 
  • Is physically and emotionally safe 
  • Gives effect to relevant student rights 
  • Takes all reasonable steps to eliminate racism, stigma, bullying and any other forms of discrimination within the school 
• The school is inclusive of, and caters for, students with differing needs, and 
• The school gives effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, including by – 
  • Working to ensure that its plans, policies, and local curriculum reflect local tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori, and te ao Māori; and 
  • Taking all reasonable steps to make instruction available in tikanga Māori and te reo Māori; and 
  • Achieving equitable outcomes for Māori students. 

To meet its primary objectives [2], the board must have particular regard to the Statement of National Education and Learning Priorities (NELP) and ensure the school’s principal and staff give effect to developing and implementing a curriculum for students in years 1-13: 

• that is underpinned by a graduate profile developed in consultation with its community, whānau, hapū and iwi (refer page 5) 
• that is consistent with the principles set out on pages 6-7 
• in which values and attitudes, identified in consultation with the community, whānau, hapū and iwi, are encouraged, modelled, and explored by students (refer pages 8-9) 
• that supports students to reach their bilingual potential 
• that provides all students with effectively taught learning and teaching programmes in the learning areas listed below. When designing and reviewing their curriculum, schools select achievement objectives from each of these learning areas in response to the identified interests and learning needs of their students. 
• Te Reo Māori, as specified on page 20 onward 
• Pāngarau, as specified on page 30 onward 
• Hauora, as specified on page 38 onward and give priority to regular physical activity that develops movement skills, especially, in years 1-6. Also, at least once every 2 years, after consulting the school community, the board must adopt a written statement of how it intends to implement the health curriculum [3] 
• Tikanga-ā-Iwi and Te Takanga o Te Wā, as specified on page 44 onward, and on Kauwhata Reo at Tikanga ā-Iwi | Kauwhata Reo 
• Ngā Toi, as specified on page 48 onward 
• Pūtaiao, as specified on page 52 onward 
• Hangarau and Hangarau Matihiko, as specified on page 60 onward and on Kauwhata Reo at Hangarau / Ngā Wāhanga Ako / Te Marautanga o Aotearoa / Kāinga - TMOA (tki.org.nz) 
• Te Reo Pākehā as specified on page 64 onward, and 
• Ngā Reo as specified on page 78 onward. The Ngā Reo learning area provides the framework for teaching and learning of languages in addition to Te Reo Māori and Te Reo Pākehā.[4] 
• that ensures teaching programmes for students in years 11-13 are based in the first instance, on the appropriate national curriculum statements. that meets the requirements for structuring teaching time for pānui, tuhituhi and pāngarau in years 0 to 8.[5]

Changes have been made to how boards plan and report their performance (Education and Training Act 2020, sections 134-146, and Education (School Planning and Reporting) Regulations 2023). These changes came into effect from 1 January 2023[6] and 1 August 2023 respectively.[7] 

The broad aims of the changes are to ensure boards are focused on meeting their primary objectives, giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and having particular regard to the NELP. 

Each board must: 

• Have a strategic plan, for each 3-year period, developed in consultation with their school community that sets out the boards strategy for achieving (or making progress towards achieving) its objectives for the period, and 
• Have an annual implementation plan for each year that sets out how the board intends to implement that strategy during the year 
• Ensure the school’s principal and staff monitors and evaluate the performance of the school’s students in relation to, at least, the curriculum and any qualifications system offered at the school 
• Ensure information about a student’s performance is given to the student and a parent in a timely manner (at least twice a year) and in a form that is readily understandable (written in plain language). Information about the student’s performance must be across the curriculum, and in te reo matatini and pāngarau, and based on good quality aromatawai information 
• Report to the Secretary of Education, to its school community, and to parents on the performance of the school’s students 
• Ensure the strategic plan is submitted to the Secretary of Education every 3 years and published before 1 March each year 
• Ensure the annual implementation plan is prepared and published before 31 March each year. 
• Further guidance is available at Schools’ planning and reporting 

Transition to redesigned national curriculum 

Delivering a high-quality school curriculum is at the heart of board planning for their school. In their first strategic plans, boards should be planning for successful implementation of the redesigned and refreshed national curriculum. 

As described at Te Whakahou i Te Marautanga o Aotearoa | Kauwhata Reo, Te Marautanga o Aotearoa is being redesigned to reflect an indigenous curriculum consistent with the philosophies and principals of kaupapa Māori and Māori medium education, the aspirations of ākonga and their whānau, hapū and iwi, and the central position of Māori language and culture. 

Te Takanga o te Wā is the first tīrewa ako to be released under the redesign and needs to be taught from the beginning of 2023. 

The tīrewa ako for Te Reo Māori, Pāngarau, Te Ao Māori and Pūmanawa Tangata will be released in early 2024 and other tīrewa ako will be released progressively over the next two years. The tīrewa ako for Te Reo Māori and Pāngarau will need to be implemented in 2025. The remaining tīrewa ako will need to be implemented in 2027. 

As tīrewa ako are redesigned and released, boards through their principals and staff, should become familiar with the content, to plan over the next three years how they will implement the fully redesigned curriculum from 2027. 

The Legislative Framework and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa 

<Refer to Te Anga Ture me Te Marautanga o Aotearoa Diagram in ‘Ngā rawa kei tēnei rauemi’ on Tāhūrangi Te Marautanga o Aotearoa (education.govt.nz)> 

[1] Education and Training Act 2020, Section 127 (1)

[2] Education and Training Act 2020, Section 127 (2)

[3] This requirement is confirmed in ETA 2020 section 91

[4] These requirements are confirmed by notice in The New Zealand Gazette [Gazette Notices 2009-go8817, 2009-go8814, and 2017-go6474]

[5] This requirement is confirmed by notice in The New Zealand Gazette [Gazette Notice 2023-go5904]

[6] This requirement is confirmed by notice in The New Zealand Gazette [Gazette Notice 2022-go4492]

[7] This requirement is confirmed by notice in The New Zealand Gazette [Gazette Notice 2022-go4492]

This diagram shows the link with years of learning at school. However, it should be noted that this guide may not apply to all students.