Te Whāriki

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Te Whāriki is New Zealand’s early years curriculum guideline, published by the Ministry of Education. It means “woven mat” in Māori and reflects the country’s bi-cultural approach to learning. After New Zealand introduced a Curriculum Framework in 1990, work began on an early childhood curriculum. A draft appeared in 1993, and Te Whāriki was published in 1996 as a bi-cultural framework aimed at helping children learn how to learn.

The 1996 publication was given only to early childhood centres, not to schools, which some people felt created a gap between early years and schooling. The curriculum attracted interest from other countries, but it was also criticised for lacking enough research to support its ideas.

An update was suggested in 2015, and a revised edition was published in 2017 by the Ministry of Education. Writers from the original edition—Helen May, Tilly Reedy, Tamati Reedy, and Margaret Carr—helped with the revision. The 2017 edition tried to make links between early childhood and school clearer, but it faced criticism for not consulting widely enough and for changing teaching approaches.

In 2017 the Māori and English versions were split into Te Whāriki: He whāriki mātauranga mō ngā mokopuna o Aotearoa and Te Whāriki a te Kōhanga Reo, though both are included in one book. Te Whāriki provides four guiding principles, five strands, and goals for each strand. It does not prescribe fixed lessons; instead it offers a framework to help teachers support children to learn, grow, and become curious about learning. The five strands are: Wellbeing, Belonging, Contribution, Communication, and Exploration (each with English and Māori names).