HPE curriculum refresh

Katie Fitzpatrick was invited as a facilitator for the keynote of Tuia ki Tawhiti conference 2024. Katie talked about the evolving landscape of the Health and Physical Education (HPE) curriculum in New Zealand. As the Ministry of Education considers the refresh of the HPE elements of the New Zealand Curriculum, she said it is timely for the field to consider the history of HPE curriculum policy and to engage in debate and discussion about what the new curriculum should look like. What key whakaaro, concepts, kaupapa, knowledge and skills might be considered central to learning in this area?

What curriculum knowledge should remain and what needs updating? Why  learning in HPE a central curriculum concern? Around these questions, Hayley McGlashan and Jean Allen, as panelists, discussed their opinions about the refresh of the HPE curriculum from different aspects of the relationship and sexuality education and Māori and Pacific cultures, respectively. The plenary session featured a rich exchange of ideas, with diverse voices from the field including scholars, researchers, teachers and students, as well as those knowledgeable about mātauranga Māori, Pacific knowledge systems, and education diversity.

They concluded with a call for more school HPE teachers to get involved and make their voices heard for the refresh of the HPE elements of the New Zealand curriculum.