Introducing the Code and Standards
As teachers, we respect our trusted position in society and recognise the influence we have on learners, their understanding of the world and how they shape the future of our communities.
What are the Code and Standards?
The Code of Professional Responsibility and Standards for the Teaching Profession has been crafted by teachers, leaders and teaching experts to articulate the expectations and aspirations of our profession.
The Code sets out the high standards for ethical behaviour that are expected of every teacher; the Standards describe what good teaching looks like.
Together they set out what it is, and what it means, to be a teacher in Aotearoa New Zealand. The Code and Standards apply to every certificated teacher, regardless of role or teaching environment. The Education and Training Act 2020 makes the Code binding of all teachers and holders of Limited Authorities to Teach (LAT).
Uara | Values
These values | uara underpin Our Code, Our Standards | Ngā Tikanga Matatika, Ngā Paerewa. They define, inspire and guide us as teachers.
WHAKAMANA: empowering all learners to reach their highest potential by providing high-quality teaching and leadership.
MANAAKITANGA: creating a welcoming, caring and creative learning environment that treats everyone with respect and dignity.
PONO: showing integrity by acting in ways that are fair, honest, ethical and just.
WHANAUNGATANGA: engaging in positive and collaborative relationships with our learners, their families and whānau, our colleagues and the wider community.
Our Commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi
We recognise Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a founding document of our nation.
Signed in 1840 by leaders of hapū and the Crown, Te Tiriti o Waitangi affirmed Māori rights as tangata whenua and provided a place and a shape of governance for Pākehā in Aotearoa.
Te Tiriti o Waitangi provided a basis for ongoing, peaceful power-sharing relationships between the first peoples and all others who would come in later years.
Today Te Tiriti o Waitangi is seen as a commitment under which Māori and all other New Zealanders may live together in the spirit of honourable relationships, with the promise to take the best possible care of each other. This requires the injustices caused by colonisation to be addressed and all New Zealanders to engage in creating a positive future that honours Te Tiriti o Waitangi.
New Zealand is an increasingly multicultural nation, and Te Tiriti o Waitangi is inclusive of today’s new settlers. As with earlier immigrants, their ‘place to stand’ comes with an expectation that they will live here in a way that respects the commitments of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the position of Māori as tangata whenua.
As teachers, we are committed to honouring Te Tiriti o Waitangi and we understand this has implications in all of our practice.
Your go-to hub: My Rawa
My Rawa brings the Code and Standards to life with practical tools and real-world guidance. No matter where you are in your journey, it helps you stay grounded and connected to the heart of the profession.
