Discovery of our Histories and Shared Future:

This year New Zealand will commemorate the 250th anniversary of the first meetings between Māori and non-Māori, and the feats of Polynesian navigators and explorers who reached and settled in Aotearoa New Zealand many years earlier. This anniversary is an opportunity for schools, and particularly our students, to talk about our rich histories and our national identity. It is a perfect learning context to help us consider how each New Zealander can play a part in shaping the future of our country.

By commemorating this anniversary in our class programmes, the New Zealand Curriculum principles of the Treaty of Waitangi, cultural diversity, inclusion and future focus can be realised. The principle of cultural diversity calls for schools and educators to affirm students’ different cultural identities and incorporate their cultural contexts into teaching and learning programmes. Teaching for cultural diversity also involves helping students understand and respect diverse viewpoints, values, customs and languages.