This book is an exhilarating journey into the set of ideas known as the key competencies. The authors employ creative zeal and the collective wisdom of more than a decade of research on the subject as they dig deep into what the key competencies mean and their purpose within the New Zealand Curriculum. They lay out rich new possibilities for educators to explore in their own work. The multifaceted nature of each key competency goes under the spotlight and the authors also use them as a stepping-off point for conversations about how students learn and the future of schooling. Throughout they draw on actual examples from inspiring teachers. This very readable book is for teachers and school leaders wanting to get to a deeper understanding of the complexities of the key competencies and their potential to bring about real change in teaching and learning. It's also for anyone interested in wrestling with why education needs transformative change. The authors are a small team of researchers at the New Zealand Council for Educational Research (NZCER), who used a creative inquiry process to bring together this ground-breaking work.