Educator Association Updates | April and May 2026

This article contains updates from various educator associations. News is curated via your friendly regional representative, announcements or newsletters by other affiliated members and the organisational website.

This is a live article so please continue to check-in as the month progresses.

     New update for this month      No Updates this month

     ACEC, Aotearoa Climate Education Coalition

• You may be aware that consultation on the refreshed Year 0-10 school curriculum closes at 5pm Friday 24 April.

• ACEC has compiled some suggested guidance on a possible submission you might like to make. File attached below:

ACEC submission guidance on curriculum 2026.pdf

Download PDF • 233KB

Ngā manaakitanga

kiaora@climateeducation.org.nz

    AEC, Aotearoa Educator's Collective

• More details are now available for UpliftED 2026.

• More like a Manifesto than a Curriculum (Open Access, Springer Nature Link)

• AIMHI Principals – Request for Urgent Review of New ERO Reporting Format (AEC Substack)

• The Elephant in the Classroom (Trevor Bills)

• The Reality of Curriculum Change in the Classroom (Becca Thomas)

• Reflecting on teachers’ experiences of curriculum-making (Rosemary Hipkins)

• Let's prepare teenagers for their future, not our past (AEC NZ)

• AEC joins the curriculum pushback (Lynda Stuart)

• Sunday Read: Hypothesising possibilities ahead: ‘establish strong foundations for learning, well-being and life ou…’ (AEC NZ)

• Waitangi Tribunal Series - Richard Manning (Richard Manning)

• 500 versus 95,000 (Sarah Aiono)

• When education becomes a Tui billboard (AEC NZ)

• Where traditional schooling goes wrong (Bevan Holloway)

• School Briefs - ERO's long term future, More from the Tribunal, Labour enters the debate (AEC NZ and Claire Amos)

• We are not computers (Bevan Holloway)

  
  

Contact

hello@aec.org.nz

www.aec.org.nz

     BEANZ, Biology Educators of Aotearoa New Zealand

• BioLive ChemEd event information is now live.

• BEANZ has published their Term 1 2026 newsletter. Highlights include:
  

  • A nomination form to join the BEANZ executive (closes April 30th)

  • Announcement of the BEANZ 2026 AGM (June 6th) which will be taking place online via Zoom; time to be advised.

  • An article about Aotearoa's biodiversity, language, human impacts and solutions for the future. "It is knowledge such as mātauranga, developed over centuries in Aotearoa and over millennia in other Indigenous cultures, alongside established conservation tools, that

    is needed to tackle Aotearoa’s ongoing biodiversity crisis."

  • An updated list of regional BEANZ contacts across Aotearoa.

    
    

Ngā mihi nui,

Vicki Wallace, BEANZ Regional Representative

vickia@mmc.school.nz

Alisha Grimmer, BEANZ Regional Representative

alishag@mmc.school.nz

beanz.org.nz

     ESSENZ, Earth and Space Science Educators New Zealand

• Reminder: following from Term 1, ESSENZ also has a range of webinars scheduled for Term 2.

Ngā manaakitanga

Jim Critchley, ESSENZ Regional Representative jimc@mmc.school.nz

Erin Nolan, ESSENZ Representative erin.nolan@whs.co.nz Official website www.earthspacescience.org.nz www.youtube.com/@esswebinars

Membership to ESSENZ is free and gives kaiako access to all ESSENZ resources on their Google shared area, as well as access to all the exams that the association has produced. You can join here.

     HATA, Horticultural and Agricultural Teachers Associations

• HATA is looking for teachers to write derived grade exams for 2026.

  
  

  If you are interested in writing an exam, please indicate your preferences below. https://forms.gle/YcQUJk2uUFaqrszH8 Once all EOIs are submitted, Kerry will confirm which exam you are writing.
  

• HATA have reviewed the draft Science curriculum and included proposed changes. This was shared with members on April 7th, as well as with the Ministry of Education.
  

• Ellesmere College is looking for a new full time permanent teacher. https://gazette.education.govt.nz/vacancies/1HAs0a-teacher-of-senior-and-junior-science-agriculture-l1-3/?search=canterbury%3Fstart%3D20%23results

  
  

  Any questions? please feel free to email colletta@ellesmere.school.nz
  

Contact

Kerry Allen. Secretary k.allen@stpauls.school.nz

hata.nz

     NZAEE, New Zealand Association of Environmental Education

• NZAEE's Term 2 newsletter is now available (you can sign up to receive these here). Highlights include:
  

  • A range of Term Two seasonal learning opportunities and updated collections:
    

    • Ngahuru | Autumn Seasonal Activities

    • Rākau | Trees in our Learning Spaces

    • Matariki, Environment and Wellbeing

    • Nature Connection for Aotearoa Educators
      

  • Curriculum collections are also available (see more resources here):

    • Exploring Biodiversity through Statistics Investigations 

    • Compost Calculations: Algebra and Measurement in Action 

    • Geometry in the Garden 

    • Measuring the Mighty: Maths Adventures in Kauri Education 

    • Nature Books: Storytelling, Curiosity & Empathy (primary and intermediate level)

    • English Curriculum for Te Taiao (secondary level)
      

  • Webinar recordings from Term 1:

    • Analysing the Draft Curriculum with an Environmental Education Lens

    • Sustainability Education in Secondary Schools

    • Growing Spaces of Belonging
      

  • Tentative dates June 3rd (Wed) OR 10th (Tues) from 4 - 5pm Reviewing the Yr 11 - 13 Draft Curriculum with an EE Lens
    

• [Via Facebook]: This is the original Mātaitipu Vision for Young People, as written by young people that was included in the 2023 Te Mātaiaho draft.
  

  THIS VISION HAS BEEN REPLACED in the 2025 version that is out for consultation until April 24th. Please take a few minutes to watch the video and acknowledge the contribution and generosity of the rangatahi involved with this work. We can still honour their mahi by advocating for a curriculum that reflects this aspirational vision. Please submit your feedback on the draft curriculum framework before the consultation closes.
  

  We have created a guidance document to help you submit. It includes a comparison of the 2023 vision with the current 2025 draft, so you can clearly see what has changed and been removed.
  

• TĀTAIAO, the NZAEE Conference 2026, is taking place in Tāmaki Makaurau from October 5-7.

Nga manaakitanga

The DePetris, NZAEE Regional Representative

thea@nzaee.org.nz www.nzaee.org.nz

     NZAPSE, New Zealand Association of Primary Science Educators

• Primary Science Week returns this year from May 4th-May 10th. This year's theme "Catch that carbon!" will feature a live Q&A with a scientist (hosted by Science Alive and Science Learning Hub), resources, competetitions and prizes. Ask a Scientist takes place May 6th, 11:45am - 12:30pm (register here). The Science Learning Hub has also organised a webinar on the 23rd of April which explores carbon activities in primary classrooms.

Contact details

John Marsh, NZAPSE Regional Representative

johnm@tauranga-int.school.nz nzapse.nzase.org.nz

     NZASE, New Zealand Association of Science Educators

• NZASE’s latest newsletter, sent on 20 May, is available here. Highlights include curriculum updates, survey links, resources, and upcoming science education events and dates for teachers.
  

  • Recent NZASE articles and resources:
    

    • Article | NZ Music Month – Teaching science through music

      Teachers Tom McFadden and Emily Hall share how music can bring science concepts to life in the classroom—from catchy science rap songs to creative ways of making learning more engaging. Read article

    • Scientist Posters | Meet an ancient DNA hunter

      NZASE has launched a new series exploring the many careers science can lead to. They chat with ancient DNA hunter and palaeontology lecturer Nic Rawlence. Primary and secondary student versions available. View online

    • Teacher Q&A | Dr Aidan Kiely – Head of Science, Aorere College

      Aidan shares his journey into science teaching, how he builds connections with students in the classroom, and the challenges of keeping young people engaged. View online

    • Article | NZIC Analytical Chemistry competition

      Year 13 students can swap the school lab for a university challenge and put their chemistry skills to the test next month. We share insights from organiser Professor Michèle Prinsep and attendees. View online

    • NZASE has produced derived grade exams for 2026 Level 1 Science - 91922 and 91923. These are available free of charge for NZASE member schools, and at $50 for both exams for non-member schools. Access will be provided to one teacher per school. For more information visit here. 2025 exams are still available as well.

      
      

    • NZASE has joined He Rau Ringa.
      

Ngā manaakitanga

Lian Soh, NZASE Regional Representative

lsoh@papamoacollege.school.nz nzase.org.nz

     NZIP, New Zealand Institute of Physics (Education)

• No updates yet.

Contact

Mat Synge, NZIP Regional Representative

msynge@aquinas.school.nz nzip.org.nz/education

     SCENZ, Secondary Chemistry Educators New Zealand

• BioLive ChemEd details are now live.
  

• $500 travel grants are available to attend Biolive ChemEd. Priority will be given to early-career teachers, sole teachers, or those in isolated kura. Apply by emailing suzanne.scourfield@wghs.school.nz (closes 1st June, notififcation 10th June).
  

Ngā manaakitanga

Lian Soh, SCENZ Regional Representative

lsoh@papamoacollege.school.nz nzic.org.nz/scenz

     Te Kikini o te Rehutai, Tauranga Moana Māori Teacher's Association

• No updates yet.

Ngā manaakitanga

Whaea Tania Jackson, Treasurer. Tauranga Moana Māori Teacher's Association

tjackson@otc.school.nz

Did you know?

Physical Education New Zealand (PENZ) has developed and published an alternative to the draft PE curriculum. See it here.