Part D
Te Whāriki and the New Zealand Curriculum Framework
Official policy for teaching, learning, and assessment in New Zealand schools is set out in the document The New Zealand Curriculum Framework (Ministry of Education, 1993). As with this curriculum for early childhood, the curriculum framework is grounded in a set of principles. These principles are referred to under the related principles of Te Whāriki.
The New Zealand Curriculum Framework outlines essential learning areas, essential skills, and attitudes and values. The early childhood curriculum provides a foundation for children to become confident and competent and, during the school years, to be able to build on their pervious learning.
Each strand of the early childhood curriculum has a number of links with the essential learning areas and essential skills of The New Zealand Curriculum Framework. These links are set out in the following pages.
In this section