New Zealand Sign Language in the New Zealand Curriculum
New Zealand Sign Language in the New Zealand Curriculum is about to be published as final curriculum guidelines. These guidelines were developed through extensive consultation and collaboration with the Deaf community, parents, and New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) users, as well as with leading national and international educators and teachers in the field. Over a four-year period, the draft guidelines were prepared, trialled in schools, circulated to other interested groups for comment, and refined into the final document.
The NZSL 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, these guidelines include an early childhood section for teaching and learning NZSL. In line with The New Zealand Curriculum Framework (1993), the guidelines set out a clear progression of achievement in language skills and cultural knowledge through eight achievement levels.
NZSL is recognised as an official language of New Zealand under the New Zealand Sign Language Act, 2006. The curriculum guidelines are a timely addition to New Zealand’s suite of language curriculum guidelines.
Item 31373.
Distribution
In October, copies of this resource will be sent to all schools and to early childhood services supporting Deaf children. Additional copies of the curriculum can be requested from Customer Services at Learning Media.