Te Mātaiaho is designed to be a curriculum that gives effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and is inclusive, clear, and easy to use.

It sets out a process of ongoing design and review of local curriculum, and gives practical effect to the key competencies and values within the 2007 New Zealand Curriculum.

‘Mātai’ means to study deliberately, examine, and observe, and ‘aho’ describes the many strands and threads of learning.

The curriculum is framed within a whakapapa that connects all its components. Each learning area draws on the components of the whakapapa and uses the same structure, so that the curriculum is coherent as a whole and easy to use.

This whakapapa and its karakia were gifted by Dr Wayne Ngata, a member of Rōpū Kaitiaki, a group of eminent experts in mātauranga Māori.

Te Mātaiaho has been developed over the last two years in collaboration with the education sector, ākonga and their whānau, communities, and a wide range of interested organisations and communities.

The most recent version is available to download here, and we are currently working through feedback we received on this version earlier in the year.

The final draft Te Mātaiaho will be released in Term 3, 2023.

Refreshed learning areas

Find out more about the refreshed learning areas below.