Relevant Curriculum
UnitedFuture supports the new curriculum believing that it represents a necessary response to the fact that “there has been no slowing of the pace of social change. Our population has become increasingly diverse, technologies are more sophisticated, and the demands of the workplace are more complex”. (Curriculum document).
“Today we are preparing students for things we don’t yet know about” (Prof Brent Davis University of Columbia Canada author of “Engaging Minds: Changing Teaching in complex times”).
Success in the future is going to require people to be more adaptable to change both personally and collectively, the ability to problem solve collaboratively, while being self-organising will be vital.
UnitedFuture has identified two areas that we believe fit within the new framework and that we would like to see emphasised more deliberately in the immediate future.
1. Character Education – Life-Skills
Character Education is about incorporating universal values such as honesty, respect for others and the law, tolerance, fairness, caring and social responsibility into a schools culture. Character education programmes, also known as values education and life-skills education are established in full consultation with parents and staff and are currently operating in about 52% of New Zealand Schools.
Schools deliberately implementing these programmes report measurable improvements in staff retention, a reduction in playground bullying, improved classroom behaviour, and fewer stand downs of students.
It is UnitedFuture policy to:
- Ensure that all schools implement an integrated character education programme.
- Ensure that Years 7 – 13 take an integrated approach to life skills by establishing it as a separate subject, to include segments on career planning, health, sexuality and relationships, drugs, budgeting advice, civics education, parenting skills, and driver education.
2. Oral Language
It is UnitedFuture policy to:
- Ensure that assessment tools be developed that would provide teachers with greater clarity around observing not just students confidence levels when talking, but also their ability to negotiate, ability to articulate emotional responses, ability to put forward a contrary point of view appropriately, an ability to verbally paraphrase, and the ability to participate constructively as both a good listener and contributor to conversations.