Implementation of the Full Curriculum from 1 May 2024

In April last year, the Ministry of Education gazetted that from 1 May 2024, all licensed early learning services will be required to implement the full framework of Te Whāriki.

What does this mean for Playcentres?

Continue to do what you are already doing.  The “full” framework now includes utilising the principles, strands, goals and learning outcomes of Te Whāriki.  Previously early learning services were only legally required to implement the principles and strands.  Kaiako within Playcentre have already been using the goals and learning outcomes within planning and assessment for many years, and learning about the full curriculum has been included in the Playcentre Education programme for a similar timeframe.

Three pathways

One change to the curriculum is that it now includes three pathways:

  • Part A – Te Ara Whānui: the framework of principles, strands, goals, and learning outcomes you will be familiar with from Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa early childhood curriculum.
  • Part B – Te Ara Māori: a new interpretation of the full framework, designed to be used by Māori-medium and bilingual early learning settings.
  • Part C – Te Whāriki o te Kōhanga Reo: the framework for Kōhanga Reo.

Playcentre Aotearoa will continue to use Te Ara Whānui, the existing Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa early childhood curriculum (Te Whāriki).  The new Te Ara Māori has been designed for Māori-medium services where the majority of kaiako kōrero Māori and services participate in kaupapa Māori review processes with the Ministry and ERO. 

 Playcentre to continue to use Te Ara Whānui

Te Ara Whānui is a bicultural framework and Playcentre Aotearoa upholds its commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and ECE licensing requirements by continuing to implement the principles, strands, goals and learning outcomes of Te Ara Whānui.

You can find out more about the change at tewhariki.tahurangi.education.govt.nz/updated-early-learning-framework

and the background to the change Gazetting Te Whāriki – Update – Conversation space (education.govt.nz).

The three pathways are outlined here Early-Learning-Curriculum-Framework-Aprl-2023.docx (live.com)

Keep up the great work supporting tamariki to learn through play at Playcentre.