New Curriculum will prepare students for 21st century.

New New Zealand school curriculum launched.

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Today we are launching a new curriculum for New Zealand schools.

It also happens to be my first official function as Minister of Education and what an appropriate first duty it is. As a former teacher, it's a proud moment to be launching this modern, well-researched, well-crafted curriculum that has been so widely consulted on. A curriculum that will serve as a framework to guide teachers in meeting the educational needs of our students.

I want to acknowledge the work of my predecessors, particularly the former Minister of Education Steve Maharey, who was a passionate advocate for developing this new curriculum.

This curriculum is designed to prepare students for the 21st century. It reflects international best practice, to enable teachers to develop their own school curriculum within a clear national framework, supported by effective planning, assessment and evaluation.

The New Zealand curriculum sets a clear direction for teaching and learning that takes account of leading national and international research and of the innovative work that our schools are already doing.

There are a number of good examples around New Zealand where local curriculum initiatives are proving very successful.

An example of where this is happening is the Children Having Ownership of Schooling (CHaOS) pilot which is exploring the use of portable technologies. One class of year 5 and 6 students at Brooklyn School are doing almost all their class and homework on small, hand-held computers called "Tablets". Early findings show that this has transformed the relationship between students, between the teacher and the students, and between students and parents. This didn't happen because the school got tablets; it happened because the school had a clear idea of how it wanted teaching and learning to happen and used computers accordingly.

This curriculum sets out what students need to know. It makes priorities, expectations, and learning outcomes for students, schools, teachers, and trustees very clear indeed. But how that happens will vary depending on the needs of individual communities, and individual classes.

Another good example of relevant learning is at Takaro School in Palmerston North, where the community frequently participates in teaching and learning programmes. More importantly, the community is clearer about the learning and goals of the school. They've used wh�nau to raise expectations around student achievement, and expectations of student presence and engagement. The school and community talked about what achievement looked like, and how they could create collective responsibility - where everyone, including the school and the community, accepted responsibility for student performance. What they've been able to do is generate a feeling of ownership of the school - and when a school does this, everyone benefits.

Each year Clyde Quay School in Wellington reports in person to parents on achievement in the two core areas of literacy and numeracy.  There is always a huge turnout.  They also use it as a platform to discuss and showcase a particular curriculum area or aspect; last year it was poetic writing, with some of the children's work on display. This year they're going to showcase thinking skills. Teachers explained the process and the product; how they teach and what the result is. Face to face contact makes families part of the process; part of their child's learning.

Through genuine involvement - through parents taking part in curriculum design, and schools working with local businesses to create opportunities for their students, we can enrich the educational experiences of our young people.

Over at Aotea College, for example, students are working with local engineering firm Aquaheat, getting job training and experience and also working towards NZQA engineering qualifications.

There are always those who will resist change. What this curriculum does is underline how knowledge is more important than ever. It emphasises that what students do with that knowledge matters too.

The New Zealand curriculum is the product of many years work, involving thousands of people. It's a document that will propel our education system to even greater heights, and prepare out young people for the challenges of the 21st century.

Other countries will be looking at us closely as we implement it, and I know we'll be the envy of many of them. Today is a milestone for our education system, this new curriculum will help today's students prepare for the world of tomorrow.

It gives me great pleasure to be here to help launch the New Zealand curriculum.