Feedback is now open on the second group of 26 Ministry-led Phase 5 draft subjects.

Consultation is open from 10 June to 8 July 2026.

For Outdoor Education, this is an important moment.

Outdoor Education is mentioned in the draft Health and Physical Education curriculum as a learning context. The main concern is that the current structure does not give Outdoor Education a clear place as a Year 11 subject.

This feedback round is about the Ministry-led subject list.

Please note: This is not feedback on the Outdoor Education vocational pathway through the Services Industries Skills Body. Under the current proposals, Outdoor Education sits in the vocational pathway at Years 12 and 13, but there is no Year 11 Outdoor Education Ministry-led subject that leads into the vocational pathway.

That leaves a significant gap between Year 10 and Year 12.

EONZ is encouraging teachers, schools, outdoor education providers, whānau and anyone who values Outdoor Education to submit feedback before 8 July 2026.

Your feedback does not need to be long. A short paragraph or two is enough.

1. Outdoor Education should exist as a Year 11 subject.

2. You support EONZ developing a Year 11 Outdoor Education course and resources to support schools.

You can also add anything else you think is important for your learners, your kura or school, and the future of Outdoor Education in Aotearoa.

You are welcome to use, adapt, or add your own experiences and examples:

I support Outdoor Education being included as a clear Year 11 subject in the senior secondary curriculum.

Outdoor Education provides important learning in, with and for te taiao. It supports hauora, risk management, leadership, connection to place, practical skills, environmental responsibility, teamwork, and meaningful learning beyond the classroom.

Under the current proposal, Outdoor Education appears to sit in the vocational pathway at Years 12 and 13, but there is no clear Year 11 Outdoor Education subject that leads into this. This creates a significant gap between Year 10 and Year 12.

Year 11 Outdoor Education is important because it provides a foundation for learners to develop outdoor skills, confidence, decision-making, environmental understanding and safe participation in outdoor settings.

I support EONZ developing a Year 11 Outdoor Education course and resources to support schools. EONZ has the sector knowledge, experience and connections to help develop a course that reflects quality outdoor education practice in Aotearoa.

Outdoor Education should have a strong and visible place in the senior curriculum.

Thank you for considering my feedback.

Feedback can be submitted through the Ministry of Education Phase 5 consultation form:

https://education.surveymonkey.com/r/Phase5SubjectsConsultationGroup2

When you get to the feedback form, you have a couple of options.

On page 3, you can select one specific subject to submit on, for example Physical Education Year 11.

Or you can click NEXT and enter your feedback into the general text box. EONZ recommends this option because you can write your own comments in one place, rather than answering all the subject-specific questions, and include feedback on more than one subject if needed.

Draft Phase 5 subject information is available here:

https://newzealandcurriculum.tahurangi.education.govt.nz/5637348576.p

Please take a few minutes to submit feedback before 8 July 2026.

This is one practical way to help ensure Outdoor Education has a strong and visible place in the senior curriculum.

The Phase 1–4 Curriculum changes are currently underway will shape how learning is structured across Years 1–10 in Aotearoa New Zealand. Within Health and Physical Education, these changes include a revised structure for Physical Education, with Outdoor Education positioned within this framework.

This page provides access to key documents, outlines what is being proposed, and shares EONZ’s recommended approach to Outdoor Education within the draft curriculum. It supports schools and educators to understand the implications and engage in the consultation process.

Consultation on the draft curriculum closed on Friday 24 April 2026; however, we have kept this information up for your reference and as a place to update where things are at.

EONZ has developed a set of recommended changes to the draft curriculum, outlining a clearer and more developmentally appropriate progression of knowledge and practices across Phases 1–4.

The EONZ recommendations strengthen:

• The sequencing of learning across phases
• Accessibility for primary teachers
• Delivery within local environments such as school grounds and nearby places
• Progression that does not rely on specialised equipment or contexts

The proposed knowledge and practices include:

• place and environmental interpretation
• navigation and wayfinding
• responding to dynamic conditions and weather
• preparation and risk management
• group roles, leadership, and shared decision-making
• wellbeing, agency, and learning through challenge

These elements reflect Outdoor Education’s role in supporting safe participation, decision-making, and connection to place, while providing a structure that can be implemented across a wide range of school settings.

When reviewing the draft and the EONZ proposed approach, you may wish to consider:

• How Outdoor Education is positioned within Physical Education
• Whether Outdoor Education is visible as a distinct and coherent area of learning
• How well the proposed knowledge and practices support progression across phases
• Whether the sequencing of learning reflects how students develop in outdoor contexts
• How practical the learning is to deliver within typical school settings (e.g. school grounds, local environments, camps)
• The extent to which the programme can be delivered by classroom teachers without reliance on specialised equipment or contexts
• What opportunities or challenges this creates for your school or setting