In October 2025, more than 53,500 voices were delivered to Parliament calling for Outdoor Education to remain on the senior curriculum subject list.

Over just a few short weeks, the Outdoor Education community, teachers, students, parents, academics, outdoor providers, and supporters from across Aotearoa, came together in an extraordinary show of unity.

Here’s how it unfolded:

• The Ministry of Education released its draft NCEA changes with just six weeks for consultation.

• In response, EONZ and the wider Outdoor Education community launched a nationwide campaign: sharing videos, stories, and posts from people whose lives have been shaped by Outdoor Education.

• With only two weeks left in the consultation window, our petition went live and when the consultation closed 2 weeks later, it surged past 49,000 signatures.

• Hundreds of submissions on Outdoor Education were received by the Ministry of Education (exact numbers not known yet, but definitely over 500 individual submissions)

• On 21 October 2025, we gathered on the steps of Parliament in the rain and wind, with Tāwhirimātea clearly on our side, to present 53,500 signatures to Hon Willow-Jean Prime, Labour MP and Education Spokesperson.

• It was one of the largest education petitions in New Zealand history, and a powerful reminder that Outdoor Education matters.

Our message was clear:
Outdoor Education, while building confidence, resilience, leadership, and connection to te taiao, is academic, vocational, and life-changing.

EONZ will continue to advocate strongly for Outdoor Education to:

• Remain recognised and resourced within NCEA / the new system.

• Be properly valued and included in the new Years 1–10 curriculum refresh.

• Be informed by teachers, subject associations, and sector experts, not rushed or dictated without consultation.

We are also joining with other subject associations to voice our shared concern about short consultation periods and the lack of meaningful engagement with the sector.

You can continue to show your support by signing and sharing the petition below and following EONZ for ongoing updates as we advocate for our subject, our teachers, and our learners.

Outdoor Education has been excluded from the senior academic subject list and reduced to a narrow “vocational only” option.

This means:

• No Year 11 pathway, the subject disappears before it even begins.

• No University Entrance credits from Outdoor Education.

• Less flexibility for schools and students, curriculum decisions shift away from educators.

• Fewer opportunities and more inequity, as less schools provide Outdoor Education.

Across Aotearoa, parents, students, teachers, principals, and outdoor providers have sent a clear message: Outdoor Education belongs in the curriculum.

The government’s proposed changes strip Outdoor Education of its academic pathway.

Right now, Outdoor Education can be taught through achievement standards, unit standards, or a mix of both, giving students pathways to:

• University Entrance

• Endorsements

• Level 2 & 3 Outdoor Education

• Careers in tourism, sustainability, conservation, education, and more

Under the proposed system:

• Year 11 Outdoor Education disappears completely.

• Year 12 Outdoor Education shifts into a vocational-only programme, with an unknown structure and no University Entrance.

• This breaks the pathway to higher learning, leaving only a narrow industry option.

The diagrams below show the difference clearly. Click the button to download them directly.

There is a link to Willow-Jean Prime https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/first-up/audio/2019004726/labour-mp-willow-jean-prime-on-teachers-strikes

Outdoor Education is rigorous, relational, and deeply academic. It delivers benefits across education, wellbeing, and society:

• Academic & Rigorous, Outdoor Education has its own distinct body of knowledge; it’s not just activities outdoors.

• Engagement & Equity, keeps diverse learners engaged and in school.

• Knowledge-Rich Learning, active, experiential education boosts focus, memory, and problem-solving, lifting achievement across maths, reading, and writing.

• Workforce & Pathways, builds leadership, teamwork, risk management, and problem-solving, opening doors to tourism, conservation, education, environmental management, and more.

• Identity & Care for Nature, strengthens connection to our land and waters, part of who we are as New Zealanders.

• Health & Wellbeing, time in nature reduces stress, builds resilience, and supports lifelong wellbeing, lowering rates of anxiety, depression, and inactivity, easing long-term pressure on health systems.

When the proposed changes were released, EONZ and our community acted fast.

• 6-week consultation period: announced with minimal notice and limited opportunity for sector input.

• Nationwide mobilisation: teachers, parents, students, and outdoor providers rallied, sharing videos, letters, and posts about what Outdoor Education means to them.

• Over 500 personal submissions were made, many within the first four weeks, showing deep engagement and expertise across the sector.

• Petition launch: in the final two weeks of consultation, the petition quickly surged to 49,000 signatures.

• Momentum built: schools, providers, subject associations, and national organisations united in a collective call for change.

• Rally day: more than 200 people gathered in Wellington, with hundreds more supporting from afar as 53,500 signatures were handed over on the steps of Parliament.

“This campaign showed the power of collective voice, from classrooms to mountain tops, thousands stood up for the value of Outdoor Education.”

During the consultation period, we prepared a number of resources, templates and evidence. You can find these here for reference:

• Submission guidance and templates: Parents, Students, Teachers, Principals, External Providers/Organisations/Sector.

• Supporting Information: PDF document with evidence, data, and messages to strengthen your submission.

• Story collection: Microsoft Form link (written) + filming guide (Video).

• Media kit: press release, quote bank, logos, photos.

• MP list: find your MP and click their name for their email address.

• PPTA Website: has excellent resources explaining the overarching proposal to replace NCEA. Check it out here.

• MoE Website: has information regarding the overarching proposal to replace NCEA. Check it out here.

Rally Overview

• Date: 21 October 2025

• Location: Steps of Parliament, Wellington

• Weather: Wind and rain, Tāwhirimātea in full force

• Presented to: Hon Willow-Jean Prime, Labour MP and Education Spokesperson

• Speakers included:
  Celia Hogan (EONZ Co-Chair & Campaign Manager)
  Fiona McDonald (EONZ Chief Executive)
  Dr Shayne Galloway (Academic)
  Jean Cory-Wright (Academic)
  Sarah Belcher (HOD Outdoor Education)
  Arlo Bridgeman and Connie Wiles (Students, Wellington High School)
  Amorangi Apaapa (EONZ)

Documents and Links for the Rally:

• Rally Guide (PDF) — practical info for Tuesday 21 October at Parliament. Rally Guide.

• Printable Flyer (PDF and IMAGE) — includes QR code linking to this page. PDF Flyer. PNG Image Flyer.

• Email Templates:

  • For MPs (PDF) — ask them what they are doing to ensure Outdoor Education remains accessible. MP Template.

  • For Supporters & Networks (PDF) — easy wording to share the campaign with your community. Supporter Templates.

• Media Kit — Press release 10th October.

• August 2025: Consultation on the NCEA opened.

• 11 September 2025: Government release Senior subject list confirming that OE is a vocational-only subject to be developed by an Industry Skills Body and is not a general curriculum subject.

• 15 September 2025: Consultation period ended. Momentum surges: 49,000+ petition signatures; hundreds of submissions lodged.

• 17 September 2025: Petition hits 50,000 signatures.

• 21 October 2025: Petition presented at Parliament; rally held with broad community support.

Next Steps

EONZ will continue to advocate through formal submissions, cross-sector collaboration, and public communication for Outdoor Education to be reinstated as an academic subject and retained in the Years 1–10 curriculum refresh.

Outdoor Education is in the news and people are speaking up.

• RNZ, The Detail: Outdoor Education: Up Creek Without Paddle

• TV3 News: Outdoor Education being a vocational only subject

• 95bFM: Stop the Government taking away Outdoor Education — interview with Fiona McDonald, Education Outdoors NZ

• RNZ Morning Report: Outdoor Education and Tourism teachers concerned about NCEA overhaul

• Newstalk ZB (Politics Central): Willow-Jean Prime: NCEA reforms not worked through properly

• The Press / Stuff: Outdoor education is not optional, it's essential — Celia Hogan opinion piece

• RNZ / Nights: The case to keep outdoor education as core school subject — Celia Hogan interview

• Pacific Media Network: Concerns raised about education changes for Pacific students — Freya Bullock

• NZ Herald: Bay of Plenty schools fear for outdoor education after proposed Government change

• Whenua Iti Outdoors: Policy Change Threatens Future of Outdoor Education in New Zealand Schools

• The Press / Stuff: Students and society will miss out if Outdoor Ed changed, schools say

• 1News: Outdoor educators call curriculum shake-up 'short-sighted'

• Waikato Times / Stuff / Opinion: Dropping subject could benefit us; it’s still a bad idea — Malindi MacLean, CEO Outward Bound NZ

Is OE just PE outdoors?
No. OE has distinct content, assessment, and academic outcomes, plus strong links to environmental stewardship and future pathways.

Will my child still get credits?
Under the proposal, keeping OE off the general list risks fewer supported options and could reduce access. Retaining OE on the general list protects choice and pathways.

Will keeping OE on the list cost more?
No, there is no new bureaucracy required to keep OE on the list. It’s a low‑cost, high‑impact decision that supports attendance, skills, and our economy. It's very simple, just put Outdoor Education on the List. 

Where is this list you mention?

The MoE released the list on the 11th September, 4 days before the consultation period ended. There are other great subjects not on the list.