Understanding the New Zealand Curriculum

The New Zealand Curriculum is

document

that

learning

and

assists

in

a coherent and comprehensive

setting

the

direction

for

student

helps provide guidance in schools.

Tinning,

Macdonald, &Wright, (2001) clarifies that the contribution of physical

education in schools helps address some of the issues of

inactive lifestyles of young people.
Historically Health and Physical Education has

status as a viable subject

struggled to achieve

in the New Zealand curriculum.

Fitzpatrick (2006) explains as a result of shift in thinking of health and

physical education the 1999 curriculum writers came up with four

underlying

concepts:

Hauora,

Socio-ecological

perspective, Health promotion and Attitudes.

Each aspect

acknowledging a different area of an individuals well-being. This in effect

would see a once science dominated subject that was

primarily drill based, aimed at making physically active and
obedient citizens of society. Shift to a more Bi- Cultural and

Socio Cultural perspective

(Culpan & Galvan, 2012).

The vision set out in the New Zealand Curriculum is aimed at ensuring
that

students leave schools being Life-long learners who

are Confident, Connected and actively involved.

and physical education make

a unique

Health

and important contribution to

the development and growth of our growing nation. According to Culpan

(2005) he explains that by

learning through experience students

therefore have the ability to gain an

understanding of the

significance of human expression,

enhance lifestyles.

and relevance which could