Major Education Reform Bill Advances to Strengthen NZ’s School System

The Bill establishes the New Zealand School Property Agency, a new Crown entity responsible for building, maintaining, and modernising school property nationwide.

New Zealand’s education system is set for one of its most significant structural updates in years, with the Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Bill passing its first reading in Parliament. The Government says the reforms aim to create a high-performing, responsive, and consistent system that gives every student the tools they need to succeed.

Education Minister Erica Stanford says the Bill builds on the momentum of several major initiatives already underway— including a knowledge-rich curriculum, nationwide efforts to lift school attendance, improvements to teacher training, stronger learning support pathways, and more efficient school property delivery.

“Our goal is a system that genuinely prepares students for life,” Stanford said. “This Bill ensures system-level settings are aligned to deliver our priorities and drive real change.”

Raising the Quality of Initial Teacher Education

One of the most significant components of the Bill is a major overhaul of initial teacher education (ITE). Concerns about the quality and consistency of teacher training have been raised for years by principals, teachers, ERO, and international reports such as the OECD’s TALIS survey.

To address these concerns:

• Responsibility for setting ITE programme standards and teacher registration standards will shift from the Teaching Council to a new standard-setting function within the Ministry of Education.

• Registration standards will become a core lever for lifting teacher training quality.

• ITE providers will be required to align curriculum design with clear, rigorous standards defining what graduating teachers must know and be able to do.

Stanford says this reform is essential. “When registration standards are clear, rigorous, and aligned with what we expect new graduates to do, universities and ITE providers must design their programmes to meet those expectations. This will help deliver better outcomes in the classroom for our young people.”

Strengthening School Property Delivery

The Bill establishes the New Zealand School Property Agency, a new Crown entity responsible for building, maintaining, and modernising school property nationwide. This shift is intended to streamline delivery, provide clearer accountability, and improve long-term planning for school infrastructure—an area historically affected by delays and capacity constraints.

Changes to the Health Curriculum and Parent Information

With the rollout of a new, age-appropriate health curriculum—including Relationships and Sex Education (RSE)—the Bill removes the requirement for schools to undertake formal community consultation. Instead, schools will be required to inform parents about what will be taught and how.

Parents will continue to retain the right to opt their children out of RSE content.

Curriculum, Compliance, and Oversight Reforms

The Bill also introduces several broader system changes:

• Regular rolling curriculum reviews to keep national learning expectations up to date

• Transfer of regulatory oversight for private schools and boarding hostels from the Ministry to ERO

• Enhanced powers for the Ministry and ERO to intervene when schools are identified as being of serious concern

• Modernised and clearer school attendance exemption processes

• A requirement for all schools to participate in the OECD PISA assessment, ensuring data-driven investment and policy decisions

• NZQA empowered to recognise and record micro-credentials in students’ official Records of Achievement

These measures aim to strengthen oversight, improve quality assurance, and give policymakers richer data on student achievement and system performance.

Support for School Choice and Charter School Expansion

Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Bill also strengthens the charter school model to expand school choice and innovation across regions.

Key changes include:

• Allowing charter school sponsors to operate multiple campuses under one contract, enabling flexibility and growth

• Extending charter school contract terms to 20 years, providing long-term certainty

• Increasing responsiveness to student demand by removing geographic barriers

Seymour argues these changes will help meet diverse learner needs. “Every child deserves the opportunity to learn and grow in ways specific to their needs. Geography should not preclude children and families from having more education options.”

Fixing Attendance and Strengthening Standards

School attendance remains one of the Government’s top priorities. Seymour says provisions in the Bill will make expectations clearer and ensure absences are treated consistently nationwide.

Under the proposed changes:

• Principals will no longer decide whether an absence is justified

• The Secretary of Education will develop clear national rules defining valid reasons for absences

• “Inconvenience” will no longer be considered a valid justification

“School attendance matters for the future of this country, and we are fixing it,” Seymour said.

A System Built for Success

Together, the reforms aim to build a stronger, more accountable, and more coherent education system—one that lifts student achievement, supports teachers, and strengthens public confidence.

“When the Government takes education seriously, so do parents, students, and schools,” Seymour said.

The Bill now proceeds to Select Committee for public submissions, where educators, families, and communities will have the opportunity to help shape the final legislation.