New Zealand Curriculum 

Financial education 

With the updates to the New Zealand Curriculum underway and the explicit inclusion of financial education as part of this, the Ministry of Education and Te Ara Ahunga Ora Retirement Commission are working together to support its seamless integration in schools. This includes providing financial education expertise to support curriculum development and coordination of financial education providers, as well as helpful guidance for schools for design and delivery and a clear understanding of what existing resources and programmes are available.  
  
The Retirement Commission, runs Sorted.org.nz, along with its financial education programme, Sorted in Schools, which is used in more than 80% of New Zealand secondary schools and kura. The Retirement Commission also leads the National Strategy for Financial Capability, which brings together more than 1000 partners from across the financial sector to lead initiatives to lift New Zealanders’ financial wellbeing. In this latest iteration of the National Strategy a stronger emphasis has been placed on financial education and in particular young people.  
  
Alongside the partnership with the Ministry of Education, the Retirement Commission has established a Financial Education Provider Advisory Group. This group has contributed feedback on curriculum content and played a key role in shaping the guide’s design. Members commit to aligning with the guide’s principles, giving schools confidence in the quality of external resources. Additionally, the group identifies resource gaps and promotes diversity of offerings to meet the needs of students at every age  
  
By 2027, financial education will be embedded within the fabric of teaching and learning in the revised curriculum—not treated as an add-on. Both the Retirement Commission and the Ministry of Education are committed to making financial capability an integral part of every student’s journey. 

NZ Curriculum

We are the first, and only, nationwide financial capability programme, fully aligned to the New Zealand Curriculum and across Māori Medium Education.

Sorted in Schools resources are developed in collaboration with our learning provider, CORE Education. All of our resources are co-constructed by teachers, for teachers and each package is trialled with schools prior to being finalised. Feedback from the trials is used to refine and shape the future of the programme.

In March 2019, Sorted in Schools launched its first learning and teaching package for years 9-10 for the New Zealand Curriculum. The resources are based on the concept of financial identity, and includes topics such as managing my money, debt, savings and goal setting. The launch of resources based on the concept of financial sustainability, followed shortly after late 2019. Financial sustainability includes topics such as KiwiSaver, retirement, insurance and investment.

Resources and toolkit for senior secondary are the most recent development for Sorted in Schools. These resources are aligned to NCEA Levels 1 to 3 and can be accessed here. 

Māori Medium Education

We are committed to ensuring every young New Zealander has equitable access to financial capability education. That’s why we’ve developed the first Māori Medium Education financial capability resources in te reo Māori for years 9-10 focussing on the concept Financial Identity and Sustainability. This year, we will have rolled out learning content across years 9-13 both both NZC and MME. For more information about our MME programme, please click here.

Using our resources

To get the most out of our resources, we recommend creating a personal profile, which gives you access to a personalised dashboard. It allows you to save and share resources and assists in lesson planning.

If you have any questions about the programme, or have any suggestions on how the resources and website can be improved, please email our team at schools@sorted.org.nz.