12. Question No. 12—EducationDAN BIDOIS (National—Northcote) to the Minister of EducationQuestion No. 12—Education12. DAN BIDOIS (National—Northcote) to the Minister of Education: What recent announcements has she made on curriculum and assessment?Hon ERICA STANFORD (Minister of Education): Last week I announced significant changes to the NCEA Change Programme that has been underway since 2020. It is a priority for this Government to ensure that we have a world-leading curriculum. This document should be the foundation of a high-performing education system supporting teachers to excel and learners to reach their potential. The current approach puts the cart before the horse designing assessments before having a curriculum in place and it is not best practice to design assessment before knowing what is to be assessed. Curriculum is the priority so that we can then deliver well-designed assessment standards that we can have confidence in. And to achieve better public services I will be delaying the NCEA Change Programme by two years while we complete the curriculum.Dan Bidois: What feedback has she received on this announcement?Hon ERICA STANFORD: The support for this announcement from principals parents unions and teachers alike has been overwhelming. The Post Primary Teachers' Association president Chris Abercrombie was quoted in the New Zealand Herald this week saying It's important that we get a really good curriculum base … good assessment folds out of good curriculum." while Dr Nina Hood founder of The Education Hub agreed that the curriculum refresh needs to be finalised before redeveloping NCEA to ensure that it was "a robust and fit for purpose qualification."Dan Bidois: How will this announcement lift student achievement?Hon ERICA STANFORD: Parents want to know that their children have every opportunity to succeed and success starts with strong foundations. In addition to teaching the basics brilliantly in our primary and intermediate schools this Government has a laser focus on delivering a knowledge-rich curriculum to all students right up to year 13. This decision will lift student achievement by delivering a knowledge-rich world-leading curriculum which acts as a central resource for teachers and a crucial tool to guide assessment and qualification design. The decision will ensure consistency across the country so that every child no matter where they live or attend school will have access to the same knowledge at each year level.Dan Bidois: What recent reports has she seen on curriculum?Hon ERICA STANFORD: I've seen the recent Education Review Office report into the Aotearoa New Zealand histories curriculum. This report highlights issues within the New Zealand histories curriculum but that are also issues experienced across all curriculum areas—high level vague and lacking in specificity is not what the sector wants. The report shows that teachers want a more explicit curriculum with more off the shelf material and resources. Teachers are the most valuable resource that we have and I will be working at pace to deliver what they need to experience success in the classroom lift student achievement and get this Government on track to meet our ambitious targets and deliver better public services."