Curriculum and assessment policy in New Zealand: ten years of reforms

Since the administrative restructuring of 1989, major curriculum and assessment reforms affecting primary and secondary schools have taken place in New Zealand. These reforms had political and educational origins, and were influenced both by local and overseas developments, in particular from the United Kingdom and to a lesser extent Australia. Three aspects of the reforms are analysed: curriculum changes, the introduction of new assessment programmes and changes in qualifications in the senior secondary school. The paper examines some of the issues raised by the reforms, and looks forward to the challenges of the next decade suggested by recent international developments in curriculum and assessment.