An Education Ministry proposal suggests having just one primary objective - student achievement. File photo. Photo: 123RF
The government wants to add ensuring children attend class to schools' legislated objectives.
It also wants to prioritise achievement, remove references to children's rights, and remove an expectation that schools will use te reo and tikanga Māori in meaningful ways.
The Education Ministry has opened consultation on proposed changes to the objectives.
They currently included four primary objectives: ensuring all children achieve their highest possible standard; providing a safe place; including students with different needs; and giving effect to the Treaty of Waitangi.
The proposal suggested having just one primary objective - student achievement - with the other three objectives "included as necessary to achieve the primary objective".
But it said the treaty objective should be changed so that achieving equitable outcome for Māori students was the first action listed under that objective, and replacing references local curriculums to reflect local tikanga, mātauranga and te ao Māori with "teaching and learning programmes".
"There are concerns that the term 'local curriculum' may cause confusion and lead some schools to think that 'local curriculum' is separate from the national curriculum - meaning they may not be adequately covering the national curriculum in their teaching and learning programmes," it said.
The consultation document proposed two new objectives - ensuring attendance and using good assessment to monitor achievement.
It said the change would require schools to focus on attendance in their strategic planning and reporting, and make assessment more visible as a clear area of focus.
"Regular and robust assessment is crucial to understand student progress and lift student achievement. Implementing consistent modes of monitoring student progress and achievement is a key education priority for the government," it said.
The consultation document said giving effect to the Bill of Rights and Human Rights acts would be removed because it was already a legal requirement.
The changes also proposed removing a requirement for schools to have particular regard to the National Education and Learning Priorities (NELP) issued by the Education Minister.
It said the NELP was created to provide schools with more strategic direction, but since then school board objectives had been clarified and curriculum statements proved more details for schools.
"Any additional priorities in a NELP have the potential to over-burden and confuse the sector and detract from a school's primary focus on student achievement," it said.
The NELP included five objectives: learners at the centre; barrier-free access; quality teaching and leadership; future of learning and work; world class, inclusive public education.
The actions listed in the NELP included "meaningfully incorporate te reo Māori and tikanga Māori into the everyday life of the place of learning" and "ensure places of learning are safe, inclusive and free from racism, discrimination and bullying".
The Education Ministry said schools would continue to be required to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, including by taking all reasonable steps to make instruction available in tikanga Māori and te reo Māori.
Consultation began on Monday 2 September and would run until 14 October.
