Photo: RNZ / Richard Tindiller
It has written to its members telling them to consider refusing Ministry of Education directions to accept such children unless they are certain they will get enough support.
The federation, which represents hundreds of primary and intermediate school principals, has been complaining for several years about a growing number of students it says are traumatised by their home lives and who pose a danger to other students and to their teachers.
The federation s president, Perry Rush, said schools were not getting the help they needed to safely include violent children in their classrooms. There is a national outcry at the moment, a national call for help from principals who are experiencing just being in the vice between the ministry s requirement to have these young people at school and the damage that these young people are causing to the wellbeing of young people and their teachers, he said.
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It says this year s rewrite of the New Zealand history curriculum will be followed by English, maths and science next year.
The changes will make clearer what children need to know in each subject.
The changes also seek to balance learning that is important nationally with what is relevant locally and to prioritise professional learning and development. I know parents, teachers and whānau want more certainty about what tamariki need to learn in schools and kura - their progress, strengths and where support is needed - through a curriculum that focuses on wellbeing, identities, language and culture, Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti said in a statement.
National Party s Paul Goldsmith slams Aotearoa NZ Histories curriculum as lacking in balance
3 Feb, 2021 02:43 AM
8 minutes to read
Koro Nicholas of Tauranga Moana plays the pūkāea (trumpet) at the 175th anniversary of the Battle of Ruapekapeka last month; students will now learn about the battle. Photo / Peter de Graaf.
Koro Nicholas of Tauranga Moana plays the pūkāea (trumpet) at the 175th anniversary of the Battle of Ruapekapeka last month; students will now learn about the battle. Photo / Peter de Graaf.
New Zealand s first draft plan to teach our own history in schools has been slammed as unbalanced by the Opposition National Party.
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The chair of the Tomorrow s Schools Review Taskforce which reviewed the entire school system for the government two years ago, Bali Haque, said the problem was the inevitable result of a failing system.
He was backed by other experts who said teachers could not reverse declining achievement without big changes to the way schools are run.
Their comments followed the Principals Federation s call earlier this week for the Education Ministry to show more leadership in tackling declining student performance in a range of international and national tests.
Haque said the principals criticism of the ministry was not surprising.