HATA: Agricultural and Horticultural Science in the Draft Science Curriculum

Kiwifruit vines in the Bay of Plenty, Aotearoa New Zealand. Adobe Stock.

The following message, as well as the attachment at the end of this post, was sent to all HATA members earlier today. It has been reposted to Bay Science with permission from the secretary.

We have been advocating the Ministry of Education to have Agricultural and Horticultural Science knowledge content integrated into the Science Curriculum and for them to address this gap.

Our Proposal: A Knowledge-Rich Curriculum

Sow the Seed has taken the time to review the draft Science and Social Sciences Curriculums and analysed the content to highlight the Agricultural and Horticultural Science ‘gaps’ (as illustrated in our attached "Green Columns" mapping) and identified the clear, and logical links between primary industry contexts and the current Science (Blue) and Social Science (Pink) learning areas. The Green columns are what is NOT in the draft curriculums, and this is the content that we are proposing to the Ministry of Education, to have included. We don’t believe that it is a lot of additional content and it provides the link with what is in the draft curriculum and ensuring that agri-education is embedded in the New Zealand Curriculum.

By integrating this Agricultural and Horticultural Science content, the knowledge provides:

1. Real-World Context: Enhancing the Science curriculum with tangible, local examples of biology, chemistry, and environmental stewardship.

2. Economic Relevance: Ensuring education aligns with the strategic needs of New Zealand’s workforce.

3. Global Citizenship: Empowering students to understand food systems, land use, and sustainability on a global scale.

A Strategic Opportunity

As the Ministry continues to refine and refresh the national curriculum, now is the time to ensure our education system reflects our economic strengths and environmental responsibilities.

Our proposal does not require the creation of a new learning area; rather, it advocates for the embedding of agricultural and horticultural knowledge rich content within the existing Science framework.

The Case for Integration

The current disconnect between our primary industries and the classroom presents several risks to New Zealand’s future:

• The Urban-Rural Divide: With almost 90% of New Zealanders now living in urban areas, most students have no direct exposure to the sectors that sustain our nation.

• Teacher Constraints: Teachers are often reluctant to explore food and fibre topics without explicit support and mandate within the curriculum guidelines.

• Workforce Pipeline: Failing to engage learners in their formative years reduces interest in secondary subjects of Agricultural and Horticultural Science and Agribusiness, threatening our future pipeline of scientists, engineers, and innovators.

The consultation period for Phases 1–4 closes on 24 April, so there is still time to have your say. We strongly encourage you to provide positive and/or constructive feedback using the Ministry’s consultation form. The more individual responses received, the greater the weight of the feedback and more of a chance of getting Agricultural and Horticultural Science content added to the Science Curriculum.

AHS Curriculum 2026 - Years 1-10.pdf

Download PDF • 141KB

Regards,

Kerry Allen

Secretary / Treasurer of the New Zealand Horticulture and Agriculture Teachers Association (HATA)