New Zealand is already a country with progressive values and practices in education. We already have a standards-based assessment system for university entrance, flexible enough to cater for different student needs. We have a curriculum level progression framework that students work through during their school journey with a push to move away from grading individual pieces of work in isolation. Have we just taken a giant leap and “quietly” announced an end to all testing?

To add to an already progressive agenda the government has announced a national curriculum refresh, I think to further convince more teachers to shift their practice and mindset in regards to the purpose of the classroom and align them with a national vision for education that has actually existed for 14 years now.

One interpretation of this curriculum refresh is mainly a conversational and planning tool to help streamline and frame a national conversation around educational practice. It is always useful when wanting to move things forward that we ensure everyone is speaking the same language and understands the components of education under the same implications and priorities.

A new conversation

The framework shapes the conversation in the form of “Understand. Know. Do.”…