Open Letter: He Rau Ringa - The Joint Subject Associations of Aotearoa New Zealand
- Lian Soh
- 1 day ago
- 3 min read
An open letter from He Rau Ringa, the Join Subject Associations of Aotearoa New Zealand, outlines sector-wide concerns about the curriculum reform process. For readability, we've extracted the full text below.
HE RAU RINGA
The Joint Subject Associations of Aotearoa New Zealand
4 December 2025
Kia ora,
We write as a collective voice of Aotearoa New Zealand’s subject associations. Together, we represent the professional expertise of tens of thousands of teachers, educators, and learners across learning areas. We are united by a shared commitment to high-quality education and to the development of a curriculum that is coherent, equitable, and future focused.
While we acknowledge the intent of the Curriculum Refresh, the process surrounding its recent development and consultation has raised serious concerns across the education sector. The current approach continues to undermine confidence in both the integrity of the process and the trust that must exist between the Ministry, the teaching profession, and subject communities.
The process to date has not demonstrated the transparency or partnership that a national curriculum demands. There has been limited clarity around decision-making, authorship, and the use of expert input. Many associations have found consultation to be inconsistent and largely procedural, with minimal evidence that sector expertise has informed the drafts. In addition, some associations have been excluded from consultation processes altogether.
As a result, professional trust has been damaged. In many instances, the relationship between the Ministry and those responsible for delivering the curriculum in schools has weakened at a critical time for the education system. The credibility of any curriculum depends on the confidence of those who teach it. That confidence is at risk.
Subject associations are essential partners in curriculum design and implementation. They represent decades of collective experience and disciplinary expertise. Genuine engagement with these professional bodies is not optional; it is necessary to ensure the curriculum is educationally sound and workable in practice.
We believe that curriculum development must be grounded in three core principles:
Transparency in process and decision-making.
Collaboration with the teaching profession and subject experts.
Trust built through respect for professional knowledge and evidence-based practice.
Without these, the curriculum will not have the support of those required to deliver it.
To restore confidence and rebuild trust, we call on the Ministry of Education to take the following actions:
Pause and review the current consultation process. Establish clear and transparent mechanisms that allow for genuine engagement and accountability.
Convene facilitated hui with subject associations. These should be open, respectful forums where subject experts can work collaboratively with curriculum developers to refine and strengthen the drafts.
Commit to a co-design approach. Future iterations of the curriculum must be developed with the profession through structured pilots, classroom trials, and transparent feedback processes.
These actions are essential if the curriculum is to reflect the expertise of the profession and the aspirations of Te Mātaiaho and Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
Our shared aim is simple: a curriculum that reflects disciplinary integrity, honours te ao Māori, is practical and implementable in classrooms, and that our sectors can confidently teach and champion.
We stand ready to meet, to provide evidence and expertise, and to work constructively with the Ministry and curriculum developers to achieve that outcome.
Ngā mihi nui.
Signed on behalf of:
Agribusiness in Schools
Aotearoa Foundation Skills and Pathways Association (AFSAPA)
Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Art Educators (ANZAAE)
Aotearoa Social Studies Educators’ Network (ASSEN)
Dance Subject Association of New Zealand (DSANZ)
Earth & Space Science Educators of New Zealand (ESSENZ)
Education Outdoors New Zealand (EONZ)
Home Economics and Technology Teachers’ Association of New Zealand (HETTANZ)
Horticulture and Agriculture Teachers Association of New Zealand (HATA)
German in Aotearoa New Zealand (GANZ)
Music Education New Zealand Aotearoa (MENZA)
National Association of Media Educators (NAME)
New Zealand Chinese Language Teachers Association (NZCLTA)
New Zealand Association for Environmental Education (NZAEE)
New Zealand Association of French Teachers (NZAFT)
New Zealand Association of Japanese Language Teachers (NZJLT)
New Zealand Association of Language Teachers (NZALT)
New Zealand Association of Psychology Teachers (NZAPT)
New Zealand Association of Teachers of English (NZATE)
New Zealand History Teachers’ Association (NZHTA)
Physical Education New Zealand (PENZ)
Religious Studies Teachers Association of Aotearoa New Zealand
Secondary Chemistry Educators New Zealand (SCENZ)
Te Reo Māori Subject Association of Aotearoa (TRMSAA)
Technology Education New Zealand (TENZ)
Tourism Teachers’ Aotearoa New Zealand (TTANZ)
Whakaari Aotearoa Drama NZ