Kia ora Will

 

Thank you for the information request below.  The Ministry will consider
and respond to your request in accordance with the Official Information
Act 1982 the Act).

 

Under section 15(1) of the Act, we are required to make and inform you of
our decision on your request as soon as reasonably practicable and in any
case not later than 20 working days after the day on which your request is
received. You can therefore expect to receive our decision on your request
on or before 9 June 2025. If more than 20 working days are needed due to
the potential workload and/or consultations involved in answering your
request, we will notify you accordingly.

 

The Ministry may publicly release on our website the response to your
request five days after you have received it. Any personal information
will be removed.

 

In the interim, if you have any questions about your request, please email
[1][email address]

 

Ngâ mihi

 

Enquiries National Team | Te Tâhuhu o te Mâtauranga | Ministry of
Education | TW

[2]education.govt.nz

We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent
outcomes
He mea târai e mâtou te mâtauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai
ôna huanga
[3]Te TD huhu o te MD tauranga

 

 

 

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[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL]

Tçnâ koe Will

OIA: 1347554 – Teaching of history and current events in Israel and
Palestine

Thank you for your email of 11 May 2025 to the Ministry of Education (the
Ministry) requesting the following information:

Under the Official Information Act 1982, I request the following
information regarding how the history and current events of Israel and
Palestine are taught in New Zealand schools:

1.      Any official curriculum guidelines, directives, or policies that
outline how the Israel-Palestine conflict, Middle Eastern history, or
related topics (e.g., Zionism, Palestinian statehood, colonialism, or
modern conflicts) should be taught in New Zealand schools.

2.      Teaching resources, lesson plans, or recommended materials (e.g.,
textbooks, videos, or external sources) provided to schools on this
subject.

3.      Whether there are specific standards, neutrality policies, or
guidelines for discussing contentious international issues like
Israel-Palestine in classrooms.

4.      Any recent changes (since 2020) in how these topics are addressed
in the curriculum, particularly in Social Studies, History, or Politics.

 

Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982
(the Act).

In New Zealand, schools are self-governing through their Boards, which
means that school boards are responsible for the governance and management
of their school. This includes selecting curriculum resources that best
meet the needs of their students, whânau and school communities.

While the National Curriculum is mandated and sets out the expectations
and requirements for teaching and learning for all students across the
eight learning areas, schools and kura have significant flexibility to
choose resources, activities and learning contexts that they think are
most suitable for their âkonga and local community.

As such, there are no Ministry developed standards, guidelines, directives
or policies, nor any teaching resources, lesson plans or recommended
materials provided by the Ministry to schools, that outline how the
Israel-Palestine conflict should be taught or discussed in classrooms. The
National Curriculum also does not address Israel or Palestine,
specifically.

The expectations and requirements for teaching and learning across the
Social sciences learning area, which may include discussion of contentious
international issues or modern conflicts, is set out on Tâhûrangi at the
following link:

[1]https://newzealandcurriculum.tahurangi.e...

 

The Ministry is currently updating the national curriculum to be
knowledge-rich and grounded in the science of learning. As part of this,
the Social sciences learning area is scheduled for review this year, with
a focus on ensuring it reflects an historically accurate and balanced
account of our shared past. The refreshed content will provide greater
clarity about what âkonga need to understand, know, and do from Years
1-13, and will include teaching and learning guides based on the science
of learning to help diverse learners achieve these outcomes.

Thank you again for your email.

Nâku noa, nâ

Official and Parliamentary Information | Ministry of Education | HW

[2]education.govt.nz

He mea târai e mâtou te mâtauranga kia rangatira ai, kia mana taurite ai
ôna huanga
We shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent
outcomes
[3]Te Tâhuhu o te Mâtauranga

 

 

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