Values

=Curriculum=

Planning and Professional development = = =Values= To be encouraged, modelled, and explored Values are deeply held beliefs about what is important or desirable. They are expressed through the ways in which people think and act. Every decision relating to curriculum and every interaction that takes place in a school reflects the values of the individuals involved and the collective values of the institution. The values on the list below enjoy widespread support because it is by holding these values and acting on them that we are able to live together and thrive. The list is neither exhaustive nor exclusive. Students will be encouraged to value: • **excellence**, by aiming high and by persevering in the face of difficulties; • **innovation**, inquiry, and curiosity, by thinking critically, creatively, and reflectively; • **diversity**, as found in our different cultures, languages, and heritages; • **equity**, through fairness and social justice; • **community and participation** for the common good; • **ecological sustainability**, which includes care for the environment; • **integrity**, which involves being honest, responsible, and accountable and acting ethically; and to **respect** themselves, others, and human rights. The specific ways in which these values find expression in an individual school will be guided by dialogue between the school and its community. They should be evident in the school’s philosophy, structures, curriculum, classrooms, and relationships. When the school community has developed strongly held and clearly articulated values, those values are likely to be expressed in everyday actions and interactions within the school. Through their learning experiences, students will learn about: • their own values and those of others; • different kinds of values, such as moral, social, cultural, aesthetic, and economic values; • the values on which New Zealand’s cultural and institutional traditions are based; • the values of other groups and cultures. Through their learning experiences, students will develop their ability to: • express their own values; • explore, with empathy, the values of others; • critically analyse values and actions based on them; • discuss disagreements that arise from differences in values and negotiate solutions; • make ethical decisions and act on them. All the values listed above can be expanded into clusters of related values that collectively suggest their fuller meanings. For example, community and participation for the common good is associated with values and notions such as peace, citizenship, and manaakitanga. PAGE 10 THE NEW ZEALAND CURRICULUM



Values, key competencies,and learning areas in the School Curriculum
The New Zealand Curriculum identifies values to be encouraged and modelled and to be explored by students, key competencies that students will develop over time and in a range of settings, and learning areas that describe what they will come to know and do. Schools need to consider how each of these aspects of the curriculum will be promoted and developed in teaching and learning. They can do this in different ways. Schools may, for example, decide to organise their curriculum around one of these three aspects (values, key competencies, or learning areas) and deliberately weave the other two through their programmes. Alternatively, they may decide to organise their curriculum around central themes, integrating values, key competencies, knowledge, and skills across a number of learning areas. Or they may use another approach or a combination of approaches. The values, competencies, knowledge, and skills that students will need for addressing real-life situations are rarely confined to one part of the curriculum. Wherever possible, schools should aim to design their curriculum so that learning crosses apparent boundaries.

Values
Every school has a set of values. They are expressed in its philosophy, in the way it is organised, and in interpersonal relationships at every level. Following discussions with their communities, many schools list their values in their charters. The New Zealand Curriculum identifies a number of values that have widespread community support. These values are to be encouraged and modelled, and they are to be explored by students. Schools need to consider how they can make the values an integral part of their curriculum and how they will monitor the effectiveness of the approach taken.

Future focus
Future-focused issues are a rich source of learning opportunities. They encourage the making of connections across the learning areas, values, and key competencies, and they are relevant to students’ futures. Such issues include: • sustainability – exploring the long-term impact of social, cultural, scientific, technological, economic, or political practices on society and the environment; • citizenship – exploring what it means to be a citizen and to contribute to the development and well-being of society; • enterprise – exploring what it is to be innovative and entrepreneurial; • globalisation – exploring what it means to be part of a global community and to live amongst diverse cultures.

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