Kaihautū Whakahaere Update: December 2025

He Ao Kori, He Ao Mātauranga

Tēnā koutou e te whānau o PENZ,

As we reach the end of another full year, I want to acknowledge the energy, resilience, and commitment each of you has brought to our community. This has not been an easy year with a significant degree of uncertainty and chance. There have been challenges around curriculum, clarity, and confidence.

Despite all this, we’ve had a blast meeting up with many of you and getting a chance to work alongside you in your mahi. We’ve also enjoyed being able to share some of your successes and mahi with the community.

We Need the Whole Team

By now, many of you will be aware that the release of the draft HPE curriculum has surfaced a range of concerns. For many, there is a real and valid sense of disappointment. Engagement with the Ministry has been limited. Trust in the process is weakened. Much of this has led to fatigue of some form or another.

We are resolute in our desire to see the HPE curriculum better reflect our aspirations for our young people and because of this our message is clear, this is not the time to opt out.

We need the whole team. Yes, the team is made up of physical educators. But, we’ve got other members of the team that we can encourage to take part. Kids, parents, coaches, friends and anyone else you can think of. The point is, the future of physical education matters to all of our communities. It’s not just about PE teachers or those interested in PE.

In many ways, the curriculum shapes what counts. It signals what we value. And it influences what our young people will learn and experience for years to come. Our mokopuna deserve Physical Education to be represented in a way that reflects its unique contribution to learning, wellbeing, identity, and movement.

Feedback on all or part of the curriculum. Every bit of feedback matters.
https://education.surveymonkey.com/r/NWCBTPH

What We’ve Been Up To

In response to our request at the end of October for a meeting, PENZ met with the Ministry of Education last week. We discussed the draft curriculum, with a focus on Physical Education. The Ministry highlighted that we are now in an open consultation phase, that there are no NDAs in place, and they are actively seeking sector feedback over the coming months.

In addition, the following points were discussed:

• Concerns from educators about content, clarity, and framing of the curriculum.
• The feasibility of health and safety expectations in the draft PE curriculum, especially for generalist teachers.
• The need for transparent communication about what elements of the curriculum are open to feedback and change.
• Strong sector calls for meaningful engagement, partnership, and collaborative problem-solving rather than a one-way consultation process.
• Ministry acknowledgment that many aspects of the current draft, especially in PE, may be open for review and adjustment based on sector input.
• The Ministry has committed to transparent communication throughout the process and expressed a clear willingness to work with PENZ to co-develop a curriculum that works for everyone.

We remain cautiously optimistic and will continue to work in good faith with the Ministry. However, while we appreciate the candid conversation and opportunity to share many of your concerns, we will wait and see if the words match the actions.

Alternative Draft Curriculum

While we recognise the need to challenge, where challenge is required, we also need to offer solutions. In response, PENZ will be developing an alternative ‘draft’ of the curriculum to provide to the Ministry. This will be grounded in our existing kaupapa and draw on the expertise of our members and wider community.

Essentially, we’re keen to provide the Ministry with an alternative curriculum that reflects what we believe PE could and should be.

Get involved in shaping the PENZ Alternative Draft Curriculum.

The aim will be to share an alternative draft with the Ministry and our community by Waitangi Day 2026.

He Ao Kori, He Ao Mātauranga

In addition, as part of our commitment to shaping the future of Physical Education, we are excited to announce that He Ao Kori, He Ao Mātauranga | A World of Movement, A World of Learning - The Value of Physical Education in Aotearoa New Zealand will be released in time to add it to your summer reading list.

This document has been developed with input from across the sector, drawing on the voices of kaiako, researchers, rangatahi, and community leaders. It outlines a clear, aspirational, and grounded vision for what quality Physical Education looks like in the lives and learning of our tamariki and rangatahi.

He Ao Kori, He Ao Mātauranga affirms that PE is about movement with meaning, teaching with purpose, and learning that connects identity, language, environment, culture, hauora, and social development.

In the context of the draft curriculum, this work offers a much-needed anchor. It centres the things we know matter. We want to provide a touchstone for what we believe the curriculum should hold space for.

We hope it provides clarity, direction, and inspiration. Whether you’re engaging with the Ministry’s draft, joining us in building an alternative version, or taking time over summer to reflect, we are optimistic that this resource speaks to the ever evolving whakapapa of physical education.

Professional Learning in 2026

To support our advocacy work, the first half of 2026 will be focused almost entirely on curriculum. This means we will dial down some of our usual Term 1 activities to hold space to support meaningful engagement and feedback. We’ll keep you posted on what this looks like.

Networks of Expertise Update

The Networks of Expertise (NEX) contract sets out the funding agreement between subject associations and the Ministry of Education, supporting professional learning and development (PLD) opportunities for educators. The NEX funding model has a history of enabling subject associations to provide grassroots, sector-driven PLD, something PENZ has delivered through workshops, webinars, mentoring, and resource creation.

Over the past few weeks, PENZ has been working through the updated NEX contract offered by the Ministry of Education. We have also sought legal advice. A formal contract offer was extended today. As yet, we have not made a formal determination relating to this contract.

The decision to continue delivering under a new contract is not taken lightly. And any contractual relationships between the Ministry and PENZ will continue to be scrutinised by the organisation. This level of consideration is due to the near sole focus of the latest iteration of NEX on the yet to be developed ‘Phase 5’ curriculum. It’s a difficult undertaking to commit to supporting the implementation of a curriculum that is yet to be developed. Our position also reflects our unwillingness to relinquish any organisational autonomy in effectively advocating for quality physical education.

We have rigorously tested the contract’s alignment with our values, our independence, and the needs of our members. That process included, among other aspects:

• Protecting the autonomy of PENZ to operate as an independent body able to hold any position relating to the Ministry of Education or PE in Aotearoa.


• Ensuring the contract allows PENZ to opt out in future if the direction or expectations change and no longer align with our kaupapa.
• Clarifying that PENZ is not required to deliver or endorse Ministry-produced resources.
• Seeking clarity around autonomy in the design and delivery of professional learning.

The current assessment is that this new agreement enables us to continue providing support to the sector on our terms, while still contributing to the national conversation around curriculum change.

Whatever decision is made, at its heart, this contract offers a platform, but not a prescription. PENZ remains committed to serving the sector independently, equitably, and with integrity. We will continue to deliver PLD that reflects the needs of our members and that upholds the mana of Physical Education in Aotearoa.

It’s Time For a Breather

Thank you to every kaiako, kaimahi, and school leader who has turned up to events, shared your voice, supported your students and communities, and continued to make PE awesome. Thanks also to our supporters and partners, and to the organisations walking alongside us. Without them, we would not be able to continue to do the work that we do.

I also want to take this opportunity to thank the PENZ staff. It might be hard to believe, but PENZ is staffed by four individuals. Three of them are part-timers and one (that’s me) is full-time. Most recently, Jules returned to teaching at Cashmere High School while Marisa, Claire and Jo continue to do an amazing job supporting our community. They make all of the parts work, and I am grateful to their ongoing commitment and contribution to this mahi.

As we pause for the summer break, I encourage you to take time to reflect. What kind of learning do we want for our children? What kind of Physical Education will serve our communities in the years ahead? But more importantly, have fun!

Come back rested. Come back focused. Come back ready to champion what’s good and build something better.

Ngā manaakitanga o te Kirihimete me te Tau Hou.

Heemi McDonald