Let’s talk about the National Census (2023)
2023 National Census Teacher鈥檚 Toolkit
Stats NZ | Tatauranga Aotearoa developed a Census Teacher鈥檚 Toolkit to help teachers bring the 2023 Census on 7 March to life for students in the classroom and at home.
Although the Census has now finished, many of the video resources can be used to investigate the many uses of the census data in our communities.
The 2023 Census Teacher鈥檚 Toolkit included a tailored lesson plan, an activity pack and a competition in which students can create their own census. Dancer and entertainer Elvis Lopeti has been brought in to inject some fun and humour into the lessons through Tik Tok videos that will be available for use in the classroom and at home.聽 The lessons are aimed at Years 3 to 7 but can also be adapted for Years 8 to 10.
鈥淲e hope that the excitement that these lessons will generate in classrooms will spill over into homes across the nation and encourage all wh膩nau to take part in the 2023 Census.聽 We look forward to seeing what tamariki and rangitahi come up with when developing their own censuses and what鈥檚 important to them,鈥� says Simon Mason, deputy government statistician and deputy chief executive census and collections operations.
The New Zealand Census of Population and Dwellings is the official five yearly nationwide survey of all people and dwellings in Aotearoa New Zealand.聽 Data gathered through the census is used by communities, iwi, councils, businesses and government to make important decisions about where to fund and locate services and infrastructure across the motu; services like hospitals, schools, roads, public transport and parks and recreation facilities, power, internet, water, and housing.
The Teacher鈥檚 Toolkit was available in English, Te Reo M膩ori and nine Pasifika languages.聽 It has been developed with teachers, alongside tamariki and rangatahi, and reflects connections to culture, values and community.聽 The toolkit aligns with Level 2 and 3 social studies curricula.
The toolkit relates specifically to the 2023 Census and is not part of the CensusAtSchool programme.
Links were updated September 2024, only those that are active are still listed below.