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30/10/2025
Dr Claire Coleman
[FYI request #32206 email]
Tēnā koe Dr Coleman
OIA: 1352862 – Arts curriculum development
Thank you for your email of 3 September 2025 to the Ministry of Education (the Ministry)
requesting the following information:
1. I am respectfully requesting all written documents, reports, memos, letters, notes, emails
and draft documents [on Arts Curriculum Development];
a) non-written documentary information, such as material stored on or generated by
computers and databases, video and tape recordings, maps and photographs; and
b) information which is known to an agency but which has not yet been recorded in writing
or otherwise relevant to the rewriting of the arts curriculum document and associated
support documents between March 2025 and September 2025.
2. I specifically want the answers to the following questions
a) Who internally within the Ministry of Education is responsible for the development and
management of the Arts Curriculum? What qualifications and expertise do that person/s
hold?
b) What are the names and qualifications of external contractors who have contributed
content to the writing of the Arts Curriculum since March 2025?
c) What are the names and expertise of the contributing group and review group for the
arts and how many do you have for each specific artform and sector of the school?
Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
On 30 September 2025, we refused
part one of your request under section 18(f) of the Act, as the
information requested could not be made available without substantial collation or research.
In response to
part 2(a) of your request, the updated Arts learning area of the New Zealand
Curriculum (NZC) is being developed from within the Ministry’s Curriculum Change Programme.
Wellington National Office, 1 The Terrace, Levels 5 to 14, Wellington 6011
PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140, DX SR51201 Phone: +64 4 463 8000
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Overall responsibility for the development of curriculum content sits with Curriculum and
Assessment Change Programme Director and Business Owner for the NZC. I am refusing the part
of your request where you seek qualifications under section 18(a) of the Act, since, by virtue of
section 9(2)(a) of the Act, there is good reason for withholding the information requested to protect
the privacy of natural persons.
Regarding
part 2(b) of your request, the Ministry engaged Learning First, an Australian education
consultancy, to contribute to development across the strengthened NZC as a whole. Their insights
are helping us benchmark internationally while ensuring that the curriculum remains tailored to the
needs of New Zealand learners. Further information on Learning First, including expertise and
previous work, is available on their website
: https://learningfirst.com/.
In addition to the above, the Ministry has engaged additional subject matter experts to provide
targeted expertise to specific parts of the Arts learning area. This information is being withheld
under
section 9(2)(a) of the Act, as above.
In response to
part 2(c), Contributing Group members for the Arts learning area were previously
listed on the Ministry’s Tāhūrangi website, however this has since been removed for all
Contributing Groups to protect the privacy of members, and at individual members’ request. These
names are withheld under section 9(2)(a) of the Act, as above.
All members of the Contributing Group are sector representatives with varying backgrounds and
experience that collectively make up the expertise required to contribute to development of the Arts
learning area as a whole.
In selecting members for the Contributing Group, individuals were assessed against the following
criteria, with a focus on ensuring expert coverage across Years 0-13:
• Relevant curriculum knowledge
• Relevant content knowledge
• Understanding of best practice pedagogy and the science of learning
• Experience working in or with the New Zealand school sector
• Expertise in designing inclusive curriculum, including progressions
• Understanding of how to integrate key competencies, and literacy and numeracy, into
teaching and learning design
• Experience and expertise of New Zealand contexts, including the use of te reo Māori,
tikanga Māori and contexts specific to Pacific learners.
OIA: 1352862
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The Contributing Group for the Arts learning area has six
members. Of those members, the
following is a breakdown of expertise across artform and phases:
Phase / Artform
Experts
Phases 1-3
2
Phases 4-5
3
Drama
1
Dance
1
Visual Arts
1
Māori Arts
1
Music
2
As mentioned above, additional subject matter experts were engaged to provide targeted expertise
in specific areas.
Whilst the Contributing Group provides expert knowledge and advice, the Ministry is responsible
for the development of curriculum content.
As you are aware, the Ministry recently established Review Groups for both the NZC and
Te Marautanga o Aotearoa, in which the content and materials developed by internal Ministry
writers are reviewed by different groups of subject matter experts. These reviews provide valuable
insights and perspectives at key stages of the process, helping to shape and inform the next
phases of work for the remaining learning areas and wāhanga ako.
Review Groups have been set up across the following functions, with a focus across all NZC
learning areas:
• Academic Review
• Primary Focus
• Secondary Focus
• Employer Review.
Nominations for Review Group membership were sought from key stakeholder groups relevant to
the respective learning areas.
To ensure independence from those contributing to the updated curriculum materials, and in
inviting a broader range of representation and expertise across the curriculum development
process, existing Contributing Group members could not be nominated for the Review Groups.
OIA: 1352862
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Specific to the Arts are the Secondary Focus Groups, which have been set up for each individual
NZC learning area. These groups ensure that the learning areas are usable and teachable in
schools. Groups have been established comprising subject matter experts for each learning area,
with a focus on Phases 4-5.
The criteria for Focus Group members for all learning areas was for nominations to reflect credible
educators who demonstrate strong evidence of, and experience in, curriculum integration and a
combination of the following:
a. Relevant content knowledge of national and international research
b. Relevant curriculum knowledge for a primary context and/or
c. Relevant curriculum knowledge for a secondary context
d. Understanding of best practice pedagogy and current teaching experience in the NZC
e. Experience and expertise in working in diverse settings, including with ākonga Māori and in
schools with high Pacific rolls.
To ensure the credibility of the applicants, we advised recipients that Expressions Of Interest that
have not been endorsed by a subject association/organisation would not be considered.
I am withholding the names of Review Group members and their expertise under section 9(2)(a) of
the Act, as above.
As required under section 9(1) of the Act, I have considered the public interest in releasing the
information withheld. I do not consider that the public interest considerations favouring the release
of this information are sufficient to outweigh the need to withhold it at this time.
Thank you again for your email. You have the right to ask an Ombudsman to review my decision
on your request, in accordance with section 28 of the Act. You can do this by writing to
[email address] or to Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wellington 6143.
Nāku noa, nā
Claire Eden
General Manager, Business Operations Te Poutāhū | Curriculum Centre
OIA: 1352862
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