An open letter to our incoming Prime Minister the Hon. Chris Hipkins
Dear Chris Hipkins,
As the incoming Prime Minister I know you are prioritising getting back to basics, to clearing the decks and focusing on what really matters. With this in mind, and off the back of three years of leading a school through a pandemic, I hope you look to education and the opportunities for parring back and prioritising a few key changes rather than tsunami of changes we currently face. It would be a win, win, win - for the government balance sheet, teacher wellbeing and ultimately student success. We all know that doing less better is the key to powerful and successful change.
I have already written about my concerns regarding the waves of educational change that is about to wash through the educational landscape and until recently was convinced it was simply a matter of prioritising the NZC refresh before we focus in the NCEA change package, and whilst I still believe this is necessary, looking more closely as the timeline and strategy for the NZC refresh it has become clear, that in its current state that even if we were to do this it will be a painful, frustrating, and ultimately damaging few years ahead!
At present the timeline for the rollout is as below.
(CS) Mathematics and Statistics, English and Science content designed and tested
(CS) Te Kete Ipurangi (TKI) progressively replaced with new Online Curriculum Hub.
And exactly whilst this is happening secondary schools are managing this...
Note - schools can opt in or out of pilots
Pilot NCEA Level 2 Te reo Māori (mini-pilot).
Pilot all TMoA NCEA Level 1 Wāhanga Ako (full pilot).
Pilot all TMoA NCEA Level 2 Wāhanga Ako (mini-pilot).
Implement Te Ao Haka (across all three NCEA levels).
Implement Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau | Literacy and Numeracy (mandatory co-requisite; implementation subject to sector readiness).
Implement refreshed Vocational Pathways through phased approach.
Pilot all NZC NCEA Level 2 subjects (full pilot).
Pilot NCEA Level 3 Te reo Māori (mini-pilot).
Pilot all TMoA NCEA Level 2 Wāhanga Ako (full pilot).
Pilot all TMoA NCEA Level 3 Wāhanga Ako (mini-pilot).
Pilot all NZC NCEA Level 3 subjects (full pilot); Pilot all TMoA NCEA Level 3 Wāhanga Ako (full pilot).
And note that by drip-feeding of the NZC Refresh whilst rolling out NCEA means that standards will have potentially been developed before the learning area curriculum refresh has even happened. So that means the NCEA changes (i.e. the assessment) may in fact determine the learning area progressions, or will mean that the standards will need to be changed again to align with the new learning area progressions.
I think what concerns me the most is that both the NZC Refresh and the NCEA Change Package have claimed that all of these changes are driven by a desire to ensure that we are enacting Ti Tiriti, that all learning is inclusive, and that there is greater clarity and that they are leaving no learning left to chance. I don't know about you, but none of the above speaks to clarity, and the complete disconnect between the NZC Refresh and the NCEA Change package means that secondary schools will likely focus on the latter or freakin' exhaust themselves by trying to make sense of the unaligned rollout of siloed learning areas in the NZC and curriculum level roll out of entire NCEA level assessment programmes. Whilst the vain attempt to juggle and focus on all of these things undoubtedly come at the cost of effective implementation of Mātauranga Māori and a genuinely localised curriculum.
I get that the MoE think that incremental change of the NZC might lessen the pressures on schools to change everything at once, and I get that they want to co-design as much as possible to give the sector a shared sense of ownership. I also get that both the NZC and the NCEA changes are important but bloody hell, rolling out both in the way they are is freakin nuts and when you add to the mix a workforce is literally in the throes of a zombie apocalypse it is actually totally irresponsible to do what they are doing! From where I sit, I don't believe our workforce has anywhere near the capacity, energy or ability to be expected to co-design a poorly planned tsunami of concurrent curriculum and assessment change.
So if we are really interested in gong back to basics, there is a way forward. It does however involve MoE making some courageous decisions that puts the needs and the wellbeing of our sector first, for the the sake of our young people. It will involve recognising we have been through a goddam worldwide pandemic for the last three years. This is not normal times! As school leaders we have pivoted, adapted, tweaked and changed our approaches to meet the needs of our teachers and young people, it is time for the MoE to do the same. Because, let's face it, the school leaders and the teachers are the ones who will actually be making all of the above actually happen!
So as a starter for ten, here's my suggestion of how we could rethink the timeline and changes needed to go back to basics and to prioritise what really matters.
Te Mātaiaho | the curriculum framework introduced and supported by materials and strategies focusing on Mana ōrite mō te mātauranga Māori, Aotearoa NZ Histories and the development of a localised curriculum.
Term One/Two- national learning area writing groups convene to develop Year 1-13 curriculum levelled achievement objective matrix for ALL learning areas informed by the curriculum framework, big ideas and significant learning.
Term Three/Term Four - the draft Year 1-13 achievement objectives matrix for ALL learning areas is circulated for feedback.
The newly refreshed NZC is gazetted.
Te Mātaiaho | the curriculum framework embedded in school and supported by materials and strategies focusing on Mana ōrite mō te mātauranga Māori, Aotearoa NZ Histories and the development of a localised curriculum.
Year 1-13 Achievement Objective Matrix published and schools begin their own learning area reviews and change strategy.
Redeveloped Level 5 Literacy and Numeracy assessments (aligned with matrix) piloted supported by roll out of numeracy and literacy common practice model at Years 1-10.
NCEA pilots recommence at Levels 1-3 with achievement standard matrix align to NZC AOs.
Schools continue to strategically review and update all learning programmes to align with Te Mātaiaho | the curriculum framework, Mana ōrite mō te Mātauranga Māori and the Year 1-13 Achievement Objectives matrix.
Level 5 Literacy and Numeracy national assessments commence and numeracy and literacy common practice model at introduced at Years 1-10.
Level 5 Literacy and Numeracy national assessments now compulsory co-requisite.
All learning programmes from Years 1-10 continue to be updated to align with Te Mātaiaho | the curriculum framework, Mana ōrite mō te Mātauranga Māori and the updated Achievement Objectives matrix.
-
Okay so the above isn't perfect and I imagine I have missed things, but as a school leader I feel like the timeline above would support a few key things:
Now's the time for courageous, coherent, strategic and empathetic leadership at a national level. And honestly slowing down is sometimes the only way you can speed up the very real change we know we need.
At present the timeline for the rollout is as below.
NZC Refresh timeline
2022 to 2023
(NZC) Social Sciences content ready for use.(CS) Mathematics and Statistics, English and Science content designed and tested
2022 to 2025
(NZC) NZC framework trialled progressively.(CS) Te Kete Ipurangi (TKI) progressively replaced with new Online Curriculum Hub.
2023 to 2024
(NZC) Mathematics and Statistics, English and Science content ready for use; Technology, the Arts, Learning Languages, Health and Physical Education content designed and tested.2024 to 2025
(NZC) Technology, the Arts, Learning Languages, Health and Physical Education content ready for use.2025
(NZC) All schools using refreshed curriculum by the end of 2025, and Records of Learning ready for use; Implementation and support for refreshed NZC continues.And exactly whilst this is happening secondary schools are managing this...
NCEA Change Package Timeline
Note - schools can opt in or out of pilots
2023
Pilot all NZC NCEA Level 1 subjects (full pilot).Pilot NCEA Level 2 Te reo Māori (mini-pilot).
Pilot all TMoA NCEA Level 1 Wāhanga Ako (full pilot).
Pilot all TMoA NCEA Level 2 Wāhanga Ako (mini-pilot).
Implement Te Ao Haka (across all three NCEA levels).
Implement Te Reo Matatini me te Pāngarau | Literacy and Numeracy (mandatory co-requisite; implementation subject to sector readiness).
Implement refreshed Vocational Pathways through phased approach.
2024
Implement NCEA Level 1 subjects and Wāhanga Ako.Pilot all NZC NCEA Level 2 subjects (full pilot).
Pilot NCEA Level 3 Te reo Māori (mini-pilot).
Pilot all TMoA NCEA Level 2 Wāhanga Ako (full pilot).
Pilot all TMoA NCEA Level 3 Wāhanga Ako (mini-pilot).
2025
Implement NCEA Level 2 subjects and Wāhanga Ako.Pilot all NZC NCEA Level 3 subjects (full pilot); Pilot all TMoA NCEA Level 3 Wāhanga Ako (full pilot).
2026
Implement NCEA Level 3 subjects and Wāhanga Ako.And note that by drip-feeding of the NZC Refresh whilst rolling out NCEA means that standards will have potentially been developed before the learning area curriculum refresh has even happened. So that means the NCEA changes (i.e. the assessment) may in fact determine the learning area progressions, or will mean that the standards will need to be changed again to align with the new learning area progressions.
I think what concerns me the most is that both the NZC Refresh and the NCEA Change Package have claimed that all of these changes are driven by a desire to ensure that we are enacting Ti Tiriti, that all learning is inclusive, and that there is greater clarity and that they are leaving no learning left to chance. I don't know about you, but none of the above speaks to clarity, and the complete disconnect between the NZC Refresh and the NCEA Change package means that secondary schools will likely focus on the latter or freakin' exhaust themselves by trying to make sense of the unaligned rollout of siloed learning areas in the NZC and curriculum level roll out of entire NCEA level assessment programmes. Whilst the vain attempt to juggle and focus on all of these things undoubtedly come at the cost of effective implementation of Mātauranga Māori and a genuinely localised curriculum.
I get that the MoE think that incremental change of the NZC might lessen the pressures on schools to change everything at once, and I get that they want to co-design as much as possible to give the sector a shared sense of ownership. I also get that both the NZC and the NCEA changes are important but bloody hell, rolling out both in the way they are is freakin nuts and when you add to the mix a workforce is literally in the throes of a zombie apocalypse it is actually totally irresponsible to do what they are doing! From where I sit, I don't believe our workforce has anywhere near the capacity, energy or ability to be expected to co-design a poorly planned tsunami of concurrent curriculum and assessment change.
So if we are really interested in gong back to basics, there is a way forward. It does however involve MoE making some courageous decisions that puts the needs and the wellbeing of our sector first, for the the sake of our young people. It will involve recognising we have been through a goddam worldwide pandemic for the last three years. This is not normal times! As school leaders we have pivoted, adapted, tweaked and changed our approaches to meet the needs of our teachers and young people, it is time for the MoE to do the same. Because, let's face it, the school leaders and the teachers are the ones who will actually be making all of the above actually happen!
So as a starter for ten, here's my suggestion of how we could rethink the timeline and changes needed to go back to basics and to prioritise what really matters.
A revised combined NZC and NCEA timeline
2023
All NCEA pilots paused. Current NCEA standards continue. TBF - you could can the changes altogether!Te Mātaiaho | the curriculum framework introduced and supported by materials and strategies focusing on Mana ōrite mō te mātauranga Māori, Aotearoa NZ Histories and the development of a localised curriculum.
Term One/Two- national learning area writing groups convene to develop Year 1-13 curriculum levelled achievement objective matrix for ALL learning areas informed by the curriculum framework, big ideas and significant learning.
Term Three/Term Four - the draft Year 1-13 achievement objectives matrix for ALL learning areas is circulated for feedback.
2024
Current NCEA standards continue.The newly refreshed NZC is gazetted.
Te Mātaiaho | the curriculum framework embedded in school and supported by materials and strategies focusing on Mana ōrite mō te mātauranga Māori, Aotearoa NZ Histories and the development of a localised curriculum.
Year 1-13 Achievement Objective Matrix published and schools begin their own learning area reviews and change strategy.
Redeveloped Level 5 Literacy and Numeracy assessments (aligned with matrix) piloted supported by roll out of numeracy and literacy common practice model at Years 1-10.
2025
Current NCEA standards continue.NCEA pilots recommence at Levels 1-3 with achievement standard matrix align to NZC AOs.
Schools continue to strategically review and update all learning programmes to align with Te Mātaiaho | the curriculum framework, Mana ōrite mō te Mātauranga Māori and the Year 1-13 Achievement Objectives matrix.
Level 5 Literacy and Numeracy national assessments commence and numeracy and literacy common practice model at introduced at Years 1-10.
2026
Updated Level One NCEA achievement standards introduced with detailed Level Two AS matrices available to assist with school strategic planning.Level 5 Literacy and Numeracy national assessments now compulsory co-requisite.
All learning programmes from Years 1-10 continue to be updated to align with Te Mātaiaho | the curriculum framework, Mana ōrite mō te Mātauranga Māori and the updated Achievement Objectives matrix.
2027
Updated Level Two NCEA achievement standards introduced with detailed Level Three AS matrices available to assist with school strategic planning.2028
Updated Level Three NCEA achievement standards introduced.-
Okay so the above isn't perfect and I imagine I have missed things, but as a school leader I feel like the timeline above would support a few key things:
- It would ensure we put Te Mātaiaho | the curriculum framework and Mana ōrite mō te Mātauranga Māori come first. We need time to make sense of these big and important ideas and priorities and what they mean for our communities, our teachers and our young people and we need to do this first and we need to do it as THE priority!
- It would ensure we get to see the new curriculum as a whole and what the significant learning and what we have to ensure our young people have to "know, can and do" at all levels and in all learning areas. And then give the schools the power to decide how best roll that out. The forced drip feeding of learning area by learning area makes no freakin' sense to me. I want to see the whole picture and then be able to design a strategy for my community and my school accordingly.
- It would mean the literacy co-requisites could be introduced alongside the common practice model and would be aligned with the NZC AOs. It would also give developers time to review what seemed to go wrong this year. These assessments need to lift our young people up! Not make them feel like failures before they even begin their NCEA journey.
- It would mean the NCEA change package comes after the NZC changes and ensures the curriculum informs the assessment and not the other way around! Or even worse, a forced rewrite of the new standards to re-align with the updated NZC. The sky will not fall if we take our time! And again, f we shelved the NCEA change package altogether, the sky would not fall!
- It would also mean that the sector can see the changes as part of a whole and would feel like the MoE understands that change takes time. Because as we know multi-tasking is a myth and if we attempt to do it all, nothing will get done well. It reminds me of that old adage - Most things which are urgent are not important, and most things which are important are not urgent.
Now's the time for courageous, coherent, strategic and empathetic leadership at a national level. And honestly slowing down is sometimes the only way you can speed up the very real change we know we need.
Yours sincerely,
Claire
Claire Amos
Tumuaki | Principal
Albany Senior High School
Co-founder of DisruptED
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