Leading bodies for educators in New Zealand have publicly shared their concerns over government handling of future changes to education.
Recent overhauls, including a revision of secondary subjects to be introduced from 2028 and a proposed replacement of NCEAs which would include the removal of NCEA Level 1, have prompted concerns from school leaders.
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In a statement, the New Zealand Post Primary Teachers’ Association Te Wehengarua (PPTA) urged the government to centre the needs of students when considering changes, especially related to NCEA qualifications.
“Education is not something done to or for ākonga – it is something we create with them,” said Chris Abercrombie, president of PPTA Te Wehengarua, the union that represents 21,000 secondary and area school teachers throughout Aotearoa New Zealand.
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“For changes to our curriculum and qualifications to be effective and lasting, they must have students at the centre and they must acknowledge the different ways in which students learn, and the wide range of circumstances in which young people live.”
Mr Abercrombie said teachers were concerned that the proposed changes to qualifications, for example, would further disadvantage those young people who were already vulnerable.
“Of course, the current NCEA system is not perfect, but it is a vast improvement on the previous system which saw far too many young people leave school without a qualification and a diminished sense of their own worth. Teachers are concerned that the proposed changes will take us backwards in that regard.
“So, we’re pleased that the Minister has decided to take more time to consider all the submissions that were made about the changes and we hope that she takes a lot of the concerns on board.”
The New Zealand Principals’ Federation (NZPF) also expressed disapproval of the changes proposed under the Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Bill to the Education and Workforce select committee at an in-person presentation of a written submission made by the NZPF.
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NZPF President Jason Miles said, “The Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Bill proposes a series of significant changes to the education system that encroach on our teachers’, principals’ and schools’ autonomy. This is not a collection of technical amendments. It is a fundamental reimagining of the relationship between government, educators, and communities; and it is the wrong vision.”
“We emphasised that the changes being proposed by the Government in this Bill completely dismiss the freedom and flexibility needed in a high-performing education system and disregard the expertise and capability of our schools.”
“No other profession in New Zealand is treated this way – not doctors, lawyers, engineers, nor accountants – so why should teachers be subjected to such a degree of ministerial overreach? It’s unprecedented and unacceptable.” NZPF President Jason Miles
“Professional expertise has been dismissed, Te Tiriti obligations have been undermined, equity impacts have been ignored, and meaningful consultation has been sidelined,” Mr Miles said.
The submission made by the NZPF demanded that the education sector be consulted on curriculum development, and that any changes made should be free from political influence. Their stance also stated that the Teaching Council should be a democratically elected professional body, and attendance policies should come from school principals, rather than being centrally imposed.
“While it’s great that we’ve had this opportunity to engage with the select committee and participate in the democratic process, we’re disappointed that we haven’t had more opportunities to work with the government on the Bill’s development,” Mr Miles said.
“The Government’s vision of education – politically controlled, professionally diminished, centrally managed – contradicts everything international evidence tells us about what actually drives educational excellence.
“Get this wrong, we entrench inequality, drive talented educators from the profession, and damage the trust between schools and communities. But get this right, we strengthen education for generations of students,” says Jason Miles.
