KEY POINTS:
A new school curriculum aimed at helping students think for themselves rather than just learn facts was launched today.
About 10,000 submissions were made on the final draft curriculum which sees seven documents combined into one.
There had been objections to a lack of focus on the Treaty of Waitangi but the new curriculum included it as something all students would have opportunities to learn about.
Prime Minister Helen Clark said principals and teachers had welcomed the simplified document and its shift in focus.
"This curriculum represents a shift away from focusing on knowing facts and figures to knowing also how to use knowledge effectively and apply it outside the classroom," Miss Clark said.
Education Minister Chris Carter said the curriculum covered eight areas of knowledge: English, maths, languages, technology, science, the arts, social sciences, health and physical education.
"The curriculum also includes a range of key competencies young people need to acquire such as thinking, using language, symbols and texts, managing oneself, relating to others and participating and contributing," Mr Carter said.
The new curriculum was clearer with more emphasis on statistics as part of maths and on learning a second language.
Te Reo Maori and New Zealand sign language are added as official languages and the curriculum would enable all students to learn Maori and Tikanga Maori and to learn about the Treaty of Waitangi.
It also included a greater focus on sustainability.
Green Party co-leader Jeanette Fitzsimons said her party had pushed for changes to the draft on sustainability and the Treaty.
Ms Fitzsimons said under her party's post election deal with the Government the Greens had also secured $13 million for environmental education.
She would have preferred that sustainability was defined as a core curriculum principle and would continue to push for that.
Mr Carter said schools would be supported to implement the new curriculum over three years until 2010 with workshops, online resources and other support.
Teacher unions were previously supportive of the draft curriculum but some schools questioned whether they would get additional resources to implement new areas such as second language teaching.
- NZPA
