Curriculum Framework
Scope and Purpose of the Curriculum Framework
The holistic curriculum framework has been developed through a series of consultations launched as part of the review and adoption of the New Brunswick Global Competencies in December 2017. Following the adoption of the Global Competencies, as a first step in curriculum renewal, the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development implemented the Portrait of a Learner (2019).
This curriculum outlines the vision for education to develop learner agency. The Portrait of a Learner has been a guide for the development of the curriculum framework which includes a broader scope beyond traditional subject-area outcomes. It also recognizes that educators make professional decisions and enact the curriculum in their contexts in unique ways that support the growth and development of learners.
The curriculum framework comprises three components:
- Foundational to How and What We Teach – Vision and Shared Tenets
- How We Teach – Pedagogies and Program Blocks
- What We Teach – Dispositions, Global Competencies, and Learning Areas
These components work together to outline the direction for student learning and are intended to provide guidance for schools and their communities as they design learning. The curriculum framework is intended to inform all aspects of school life and learning: including formal instruction, co-curricular and extra-curricular learning experiences.
The prescribed curriculum sets the standards. The how and what we teach, the learning outcomes, the materials and resources, the learning environment, the relationships and the instructional methods, as well as the interests, motivations, contributions, skills and experiences of the learners and educators shape the enacted curriculum. The curriculum framework is intended to support educators to adapt and respond to their learners.
Each component has additional details integrated into the digital curriculum platform. In Grade 10 students begin to choose from a wide range of curriculum. Their experiences in early learning to Grade 9 prepare them for making purposeful choices toward their preferred futures.