KEY POINTS:
Education groups caution against giving schools too much independence over the curriculum, saying it could result in wide variations in what students learn at different schools.
Submissions on the draft schools curriculum - due to be introduced in schools next year, were predominantly supportive of it.
However, groups ranging from the teacher unions, the Education Forum and the Office of the Childrens' Commissioner all warned that it was vague and could result in wide disparities.
A Colmar Brunton analysis of about 9100 submissions found there were high levels of support for the draft with 80 per cent of respondents saying it reinforced the direction schools were heading in.
While 72 per cent of responses said it provided the right amount of flexibility, "for some, the document is seen as not detailed enough to enable schools to design a curriculum and they requested 'how to' instructions and detail."
A Lift Education analysis of major submissions on the draft curriculum showed both PPTA and NZEI teacher unions were broadly supportive, but said there was a need for balance in telling schools what to teach and leaving them to decide for themselves.
The NZEI submission warned the freedom the curriculum gave to schools could mean the loss of a "national" curriculum and lead to students specialising too early.
"It enables schools to make different provision for what is taught in a manner which may limit the educational choices parents can make for their children. This has the potential to further exacerbate undesirable school differences."
The Office of the Childrens' Commissioner also warned that it gave schools the freedom to focus on some subjects over others, which could be to the detriment of some pupils.
In a report on the submissions commissioned by the Ministry of Education, University of Otago Lester Flockton recommended that the curriculum be "strengthened so that it avoids ambiguity, misinterpretation or misrepresentation".
Groups including the Education Forum, Catholic Education Office and Federation of Graduate Women said there should be a clearer outline of what was to be taught, rather than giving each school the flexibility to decide.
National education spokeswoman Katherine Rich said the vagueness of the document meant it would appeal to a cross-section of interest groups, but did not mean it would work.
The Ministry of Education expects to complete the revisions to the curriculum by June.
The new curriculum
What is it?
* It sets out the Government's expectations of what primary and secondary schoolchildren should be able to achieve by the time they leave school.
Why is it changing?
* The last massive seven-volume document was issued in 1993. The Government says it needs to reflect modern education needs.
What does it say?
* It weaves eight core values into teaching, and says pupils should be taught English, mathematics and statistics, science, social sciences, technology, the arts, health and physical education and languages.
