A civics and citizenship curriculum should be cemented in New Zealand schools because knowledge students are entitled to is being left to chance, says a leading academic.
According to the guide, civics education develops students knowledge of their rights and duties as New Zealand citizens, and of civic processes, such as how laws are made, how voting works and how to deal with government agencies. Citizenship education develops “active citizens”, including how to listen respectfully to the views of others and how to effect change. The guide says Aotearoa has a robust democracy, but its resilience should not be taken for granted. In 2019, a digital survey by Seed Waikato, a charity for young Waikato people, found two in five respondents aged between 15 and 34 didn’t know how to cast a vote in the 2019 local body elections, and eight out of 10 felt disconnected from their council.
Budget 2021: More funding for special needs kids on principals wishlist John Gerritsen
The government goes into Budget 2021 facing complex and competing demands from schools.
On the one hand are hot-button issues like support for violent children and funding for dilapidated classrooms.
On the other are big picture school reforms agreed to a year-and-a-half ago following the Tomorrow s Schools Review Taskforce.
Among those changes are an overhaul of the entire school funding system, including a replacement for the much-criticised school deciles, and the creation of a new Education Ministry unit to give schools greater support.
Principals believe action on the reforms is now due, but they told RNZ they also want more funding for the day-to-day problems.