English in the New Zealand Curriculum
The principles
In planning and implementing their programmes, teachers must take account of
the principles of The New Zealand Curriculum Framework.
The principles give direction to the curriculum in New Zealand schools. They are based on the premises
that the individual student is at the centre of all teaching and learning, and that the curriculum
for all students will be of the highest quality. The principles affirm and reflect New Zealand's identity.
They provide national direction while allowing for local discretion. All schools must ensure that the
principles are embodied in their programmes.
The New Zealand Curriculum Framework, pages 6–7
The Essential Skills
The New Zealand Curriculum Framework specifies eight groupings of essential skills: communication skills;
numeracy skills; information skills; problem-solving skills; self-management and competitive skills;
social and co-operative skills; physical skills; and work and study skills (pages 17 to 20).
Communication skills are integral to the English curriculum and are
developed through all three strands – oral, written, and visual language. The
statement sets objectives for developing the skills of discrimination and critical
analysis as students interpret oral, written, and visual texts. Competence in
using information and communication technologies, essential for full participation
in society and the world of work, is also part of the curriculum.
Information skills and problem-solving skills are essential
for learning, for language development, and for involvement in society, and
are specifically reflected in the achievement objectives. For example, the ability
to distinguish between main and supporting ideas is included in the objectives
for oral and written language. Students also need to retrieve, interpret, use,
produce, and present information in a variety of contexts as a basis for solving
problems and making decisions. Opportunities to develop these skills, using
a range of information-retrieval and information-processing technologies, are
included in this statement.
The English curriculum also recognises the importance of social and co-operative skills for learning and language
development. Many of the approaches to learning and teaching described in this statement include group and co-operative
activities that are designed to help students develop their ability to use language and communicate with others.
The statement also recognises the need for students to develop respect for individual differences, and to participate
in a range of social and cultural settings.
The development of self-management skills and work and study skills is strongly encouraged in the English curriculum.
The achievement objectives and the learning and teaching examples illustrate the importance of students being a
ble to take increasing responsibility for their learning, and to work both independently and in groups. Learning
and teaching programmes provide opportunities for self-monitoring and self-evaluation and enable students to set
goals for themselves.
Attitudes and Values
The New Zealand Curriculum Framework states that "attitudes and values, along with knowledge and skills,
are an integral part of the New Zealand Curriculum" (page 21).
The curriculum for English provides opportunities for students to explore, challenge, think critically about,
and clarify both their own attitudes and values, and those of others. In exploring an oral, written, or
visual text, students may consider the values and viewpoint which it expresses and compare them with their own.
This is an essential part of the process of thinking critically about literature, for instance.
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