Physical Education New Zealand Draft Curriculum Submission
Date: 5 May 2026
PENZ Submission on the Draft Health and Physical Education Curriculum (Years 0–10)
This submission reflects the collective voice of the profession and provides clear, evidence-informed feedback on the current draft. While acknowledging the scale and intent of the reform, PENZ has identified significant structural and conceptual concerns, concluding that the draft requires full reworking to ensure it is coherent, implementable, and capable of delivering meaningful outcomes for ākonga.
Alongside outlining key issues, the submission highlights the importance of maintaining Physical Education as a knowledge-rich, discipline-based learning area—grounded in movement as a way of knowing, being, and relating. It also reinforces the need for a curriculum that reflects the bicultural foundations of Aotearoa New Zealand, supports inclusive practice, and enables local responsiveness.
Importantly, this work is not solely critical. PENZ has actively contributed solutions through the development of an Alternative Curriculum Framework and a Value Proposition for Physical Education, both shaped through widespread sector collaboration and endorsement.
We invite you to read the full submission to better understand the position of PENZ and the wider Physical Education community, and to engage with the future direction of HPE in Aotearoa New Zealand.
