Agriculture teaching leaders are celebrating after the government reversed its decision not to have Agriculture and Horticultural Science as a standalone Year 11 subject.
Announced by Education Minister Erica Stanford, the decision will see Year 11 Agriculture and Horticultural Science being an optional subject alongside compulsory Science.
Feilding High School principal Nathan Stewart said it was fantastic news for students, giving them the opportunity to choose a subject where they can flourish and grow and which is applicable to life in many different ways.
He thanked Stanford along with MP Suze Redmayne and Associate Agriculture Minister Andrew Hoggard for listening to the concerns of rural communities.
“This is a huge win for New Zealand kids. It’s a huge win for the farming sector because these kids are going to be the future of our farm owners, entrepreneurs and add economic value to our country.
“It’s great that Erica has listened.”
Horticulture & Agriculture Teachers Association (HATA) president Rex Newman said while he was pleased, teachers should never have been put in that position in the first place.
“It should never have gotten to that point, but we’re pleased that sense has prevailed.”
The decision to make it an optional subject effectively puts Agriculture and Horticultural Science back where it was previously, he said.
Federated Farmers education spokesperson Greg Anderson said Stanford had listened to the feedback from farmers and rural communities and acted on it.
“Federated Farmers, HATA and provincial high schools made a clear and compelling case to the minister to save this subject.”
It was fantastic that the government recognised the importance of these subjects and will allow them to continue as standalone course options, he said.
“Curriculum reviews are important to keep content fresh and relevant, but removing Agriculture and Horticultural Science for Year 11 would have been a significant misstep.”
Stanford has proven herself to be a minister who is willing to listen to feedback and make changes when they’re clearly needed, Anderson said.
“It takes a lot of guts to admit you’ve got something wrong, but what really matters is how you go about putting it right.”
DairyNZ CEO and Agribusiness in Schools chair Campbell Parker said it was a positive decision.
“Studying agriculture and horticulture from Year 11 will help young people see the breadth of opportunities across our primary sector and build pathways into further study and careers. As chair of Agribusiness in Schools, I’m pleased the voices of teachers and industry have been heard.”
This is the second time in 12 months that Stanford has had to reverse a decision from the Ministry of Education that has affected the teaching of agriculture and horticulture in schools after a backlash from teachers and rural communities.
In September last year, the government reversed its decision not to include Agriculture as a secondary school subject following heavy criticism.
Newman blamed a lack of consultation with HATA and the industry on the part of the Ministry of Education.
“These decisions are being made without our knowledge and we’re having to react, which is ridiculous. We should be consulted when it comes to this sort of stuff.”
Stewart said the experts influencing these decisions are completely disconnected from classrooms.
“They are repeatedly missing the mark and missing opportunities to serve our kids better.”
Stanford said the decision complements the existing Agricultural and Horticultural Science subjects in Years 12 and 13, as well as the new industry-led food and fibre subject currently being developed for Years 12 and 13.
The MoE’s original intention was that schools could teach Year 11 science through an agriculture and horticulture lens, providing a pathway into more specialised science subjects in Years 12 and 13.
“However, since the release of the new Year 11 science curriculum, feedback from rural school principals, teachers and the primary sector has made it clear that this approach could not provide the flexibility originally envisaged, and that Agriculture and Horticultural Science would be better delivered as a standalone subject.
“We’ve listened to that feedback and are making Agriculture and Horticultural Science a standalone subject from Year 11.”
The MoE will work with subject matter experts to develop the new Year 11 subject, alongside teaching and assessment resources and implementation support for schools and teachers.
Schools will have the flexibility to decide whether to offer the subject, allowing them to respond to the needs and interests of their students and communities.
Public consultation on the new Year 11 subject is expected to begin in the coming weeks.
