The meeting was held at Rocket Lab and was led by the Minister of Education Erica Stanford. The announcement was well received with many new subjects bringing the proposed qualification into line with international qualifications. The addition of civics, philosophy and psychology being among the exciting developments along with mechatronics, electronics, and additional vocational subjects to be developed by industry experts including engineering and construction.
The Minister commented – “with the rapid development of AI, students will also be able to learn about and use generative AI in a range of subjects. This may include learning about how digital systems work, machine learning, cybersecurity, and digital ethics.” She said the new subjects, being developed for the Years 11 to 13 curriculum, reflect the growing importance of science, technology, engineering and mathematics, often referred to as STEM.
The Minister announce that the government was also introducing new industry-led subjects to give students more choice. These would include, primary industry, health and wellbeing services, outdoor education, automotive engineering, building and construction, infrastructure engineering, mechanical engineering, tourism and hospitality.
The new subjects will be introduced in 2028 so there is time to develop courses and create programmes to deliver the new and interesting range. Sir Peter Beck also spoke about the importance of creating new subjects that would support the development of initiatives in New Zealand and worldwide.
The growth of Rocket Lab has been an outstanding example of what is possible with a vision for the future. Rocket Lab has the capability to produce rockets based on market demand, with the factory producing over 50 Electron rockets per year and plans for future production of the Neutron rocket. In 2024, they launched 16 Electron rockets, exceeding previous years and showcasing their scaled production capacity and ability to meet market needs. Education is the key to creating opportunities to work in such an amazing place, or to use their imagination and knowledge to create their own.
