Foreword
The New Zealand Sign Language Act 2006 recognises New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) as an official language of New Zealand. It provides recognition of NZSL as a unique New Zealand language and gives it equal status to that of spoken language.
NZSL is a valuable language. It is essential to many Deaf people for effective daily communication and interactions. New Zealand needs more people who are fluent users of NZSL and have an appreciation of Deaf culture. In addition, learning new languages plays a valuable part in the education of young New Zealanders.
New Zealand Sign Language in the New Zealand Curriculum provides the basis for NZSL programmes in early childhood settings and in primary and secondary schools. It gives students the opportunity to learn NZSL from the earliest practicable age. In line with Te Whāriki: He Whāriki Mātauranga mo ngā Mokopuna o Aotearoa/Early Childhood Curriculum, these curriculum guidelines include an early childhood section for teaching and learning NZSL. In line with The New Zealand Curriculum Framework, these guidelines set out a clear progression of achievement in language skills and cultural knowledge through eight levels of achievement in schools.
New Zealand Sign Language in the New Zealand Curriculum is designed to help teachers to plan and implement programmes that encourage students to broaden their knowledge beyond cultural stereotypes and enable them to interact effectively with NZSL users in a range of social situations.
New Zealand Sign Language in the New Zealand Curriculum is a timely addition to New Zealand’s suite of language curriculum guidelines and enables the Ministry of Education to increase access to the national language of Deaf New Zealanders in early childhood settings and schools. Extending opportunities to hearing students to learn NZSL, to learn about Deaf culture, and to interact with other users of the language will increase the pool of users and enhance participation in education by those whose first language is NZSL.
New Zealand Sign Language in the New Zealand Curriculum has been developed as a result of extensive consultation and collaboration with the Deaf community, parents, and NZSL users as well as leading educators and teachers in the field of NZSL teaching and learning, nationally and internationally. Over four years, draft guidelines were prepared, trialled in schools, circulated to other interested groups for comment, and refined. The views of all those who have contributed and the specialist knowledge of NZSL first language users have been taken into account in preparing the final version of these curriculum guidelines.
I am grateful to all those who contributed to this project, including the writers, the staff and students of the specialist Deaf Education Centres, the reference groups, Ministry staff, Deaf community representatives, and parents, all of whom so willingly gave their time, experience, and expertise.
Howard Fancy
Secretary for Education