Every student at every school will soon be taught New Zealand history.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has unveiled plans to make the teaching of national history a mandatory part of the school curriculum.

Students will learn about the first arrivals of Maori and the Treaty of Waitangi.

They will also learn about our subsequent history of colonisation and immigration, including the New Zealand Wars.

The curriculum will also cover our evolving national multicultural identity and our role in the Pacific.

History Teachers' Association chairman Graeme Ball has been calling for the change.

He told Mike Hosking it's an important step towards ensuring New Zealanders know how their country got to this point.

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