But the reforms have driven heated debate among academics, teachers, school leaders and parents over how \u2013 and what \u2013 our children should be taught.<\/p>\n
With many of these changes now bedding in, the next government faces the hefty challenge of bridging these divides and trying to bring the education sector back together.<\/p>\n
New rules, changing schools<\/p>\n
Soon after the coalition government took charge three years ago, it began enacting its election pledge<\/a> of requiring primary and intermediate schools to teach an hour each of reading, writing and maths daily.<\/p>\n It spelt the start of a much wider policy reset<\/a>.<\/p>\n Mobile phones were banned in schools<\/a>, structured literacy<\/a> was expanded in primary classrooms and work began on rewriting the New Zealand Curriculum<\/a> to place greater emphasis on knowledge. <\/p>\n Primary schools also faced new requirements for twice-yearly standardised testing<\/a>, while plans were announced to replace NCEA<\/a> with two new secondary qualifications.<\/p>\n Changes to school governance and oversight followed. The government removed the requirement<\/a> for school boards to give effect to te Tiriti o Waitangi, reintroduced charter schools<\/a> and changed how the Education Review Office reports<\/a> on school performance.<\/p>\n It has also introduced a school-based teacher training pathway<\/a> and shifted responsibility<\/a> for setting professional teaching standards from the Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand towards the government, giving ministers greater control over the profession.<\/p>\n The shift towards a \u201cknowledge-rich\u201d curriculum and structured teaching represents a significant departure from decades of more child-centred approaches to education in New Zealand.<\/p>\n Critics have argued<\/a> that the shift to a narrower, more prescriptive curriculum risks marginalising M\u0101ori and other cultural knowledge, while increasingly scripted teaching methods<\/a> leave teachers less room to respond to individual students\u2019 needs.<\/p>\n There are also concerns that a more standardised system could struggle to meet the needs of students with different learning needs and backgrounds, leaving some of the most vulnerable learners further behind<\/a>.<\/p>\n It\u2019s still too early to assess the reforms\u2019 impact. Earlier international PISA results<\/a> paint a mixed picture, with science scores improving and maths performance stabilising after years of decline. Reading scores<\/a>, however, remain troubling, particularly among boys.<\/p>\n There are also questions about whether more structured literacy teaching could affect children\u2019s enjoyment of reading, which researchers have found<\/a> to be declining in the UK, where similar approaches have been used for years.<\/p>\n A sector divided<\/p>\n Whoever assumes power after the election, it\u2019s clear that rebuilding trust and consensus across a fractured education sector won\u2019t be straightforward.<\/p>\n Several faultlines are particularly apparent.<\/p>\n One concerns te Tiriti o Waitangi. More than 1,000 schools have publicly committed to upholding its principles, despite the government\u2019s removal of the requirement for school boards to do so.<\/p>\n Another is the proposed replacement of NCEA. Some secondary principals called for consultation to be paused<\/a>, while most students and wh\u0101nau who provided feedback on the proposed changes questioned the need for an overhaul<\/a>. Others<\/a>, however, have supported the reforms.<\/p>\n The wider curriculum overhaul has proven similarly contentious, with 39 local and regional principals\u2019 associations and six subject associations signing a joint letter<\/a> to the government opposing the changes.<\/p>\n Questions have also been raised about how the current reforms have been developed.<\/p>\n An Australian firm founded by a knowledge-rich curriculum advocate has been involved<\/a> in the curriculum overhaul, while reports of internal concerns at the Ministry of Education have added to the controversy.<\/p>\n Whistleblowers have alleged<\/a> ministry staff were advised to avoid recording comments that could be released under the Official Information Act.<\/p>\n Read more: Election Policy Tracker: your guide to what the parties are promising during the 2026 election campaign<\/a><\/p>\n If elected, Labour says it would freeze<\/a> the curriculum overhaul and proposed NCEA changes. National, in turn, has promised<\/a> to expand its maths acceleration programme, among other education commitments.<\/p>\n Away from these live issues, there remain wider challenges that must be addressed.<\/p>\n One is the growing role of artificial intelligence in teaching and learning, and how schools can make use of the technology without undermining students\u2019 development of essential skills.<\/p>\n Another is the persistent disengagement of young people from education, training and employment. In March 2026<\/a>, 14.4% of 15-24-year-olds were not in employment, education or training, up from 11.2% in 2023<\/a>. <\/p>\n Schools are also grappling with concerns about physical violence, while facing growing demands to meet the needs of neurodivergent learners.<\/p>\n Then there are the longstanding disparities in educational achievement, particularly for M\u0101ori students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.<\/p>\n Closing these gaps will require sustained attention and investment. At the same time, New Zealand needs greater certainty about the direction of its education system.<\/p>\n Keeping politics out of education altogether may be unrealistic. But finding common ground on the fundamentals, at least, could be a valuable first step towards preventing another major shift every three years.<\/p>\n From the cost of living to how best to tackle climate change, the coming election involves some big choices.<\/p>\n![\"Promo](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1793300170_781_file-20260928-50-1ujkwl.png\")
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