Draft English Curriculum (Yr 7-13) Feedback guide

The Ministry of Education is now consulting on the draft English Curriculum (Yr 7-13). This curriculum will set the blueprint for those being developed in other learning areas, so it is important for all learning areas to take part in the consultation. PPTA Te Wehengarua is encouraging ALL members to take part in the feedback process. 

The guide will support you to give feedback to the Ministry of Education about the draft English Curriculum (Yr 7-13).

What’s at stake?

The draft English curriculum sets a precedent for future learning area curriculum overhauls. These are the key issues that our members have identified with the Draft English Curriculum, which you may want to consider in your feedback: 

• Lack of meaningful reference and expected application of Te Tiriti.
• Students need to be able to see themselves in the curriculum –their language(s), culture(s) and identities need to be visible.
• Teacher expertise could be further undermined with mandated elements that consume the teaching programme, leaving little time for local curriculum and the diverse needs of learners to be addressed.
• A narrowing of pedagogy into ill-defined ‘knowledge-rich’ and ‘science of learning’.
• Lack of collaboration and input from the teacher experts regarding access to a wide range of appropriate pedagogy relevant to each learning area.
• Implementation of the curriculum would involve significant cost for schools and huge workload for teachers – no supports have been identified to date for this process. 

What’s the solution?

As curriculum leaders in your school, you will be familiar with some of the key issues and potential ways of addressing these. You can also consider PPTA Te Wehengarua’s policy on curriculum development, which outlines five principles of what good curriculum development looks like. These principles are:

• Principle 1: Te Tiriti is valued and is visible; 
• Principle 2: Learners are at the centre so that the curriculum is inclusive and equitable;
• Principle 3: The curriculum is manageable, is well resourced, coherent, and well communicated; 
• Principle 4: Teachers are valued as curriculum designers and their expertise and specialisation are recognised and valued; and,
• Principle 5: The curriculum is regularly reviewed through research on effective practice to make sure it is fit for purpose. 

When you have made your submission, consider sharing your feedback with the PPTA to support our ongoing advocacy for meaningful and considered curriculum development.

• You can share your submission to ascott@ppta.org.nz.  

Practise your feedback before you submit

This form allows you to give feedback on each section of the draft curriculum, and then you can give general feedback at the end.

If you are giving feedback on each section, we recommend recording your ideas before submitting via the online form.

• Download the Feedback Guide

How do I give feedback? 

You can submit feedback as an individual, as a faculty or department in your school, or as a PPTA Branch. Consultation closes on Friday 13 June, 2025.

There are two ways that you can give feedback on the draft curriculum: 

1) Use the Ministry of Education’s Feedback Form

If you only want to give general feedback you may do so. There is the option to be contacted regarding your feedback and to provide the name of the organisation which you are representing, but otherwise it remains anonymous.

2) Email the Ministry of Education

This option allows you to share any documents you may think are relevant in your feedback. This option requires you to provide your contact details, name, and organisation.