Te Whakarōputanga Kaitiaki Kura o Aotearoa (formerly New Zealand School Trustees Association) has today welcomed the release of the Government’s six education priorities.
“We are pleased to finally hear what the priorities of the Minister are,” said President Lorraine Kerr MNZM.
“We do have concerns about the ‘how’, as we all know the devil is in the detail.
“We are looking forward to hearing about that detail so Te Whakarōputanga (formerly NZSTA) can ensure school boards are equipped with the skills and knowledge to support their principals and teachers.
“We all agree that ākonga must remain at the centre of everything we do,” Ms Kerr said.
The Government’s six education priorities, announced by Education Minister, Erica Stanford yesterday, are:
- Clearer curriculum: Establishing a knowledge-rich curriculum grounded in the science of learning.
- Better approach to literacy and numeracy: Implementing evidence-based instruction in early literacy and mathematics.
- Smarter assessment and reporting: Implementing consistent modes of monitoring student progress and achievement.
- Improved teacher training: Developing the workforce of the future, including leadership development pathways.
- Stronger learning support: Targeting effective learning support interventions for students with additional needs.
- Greater use of data: Using data and evidence to drive consistent improvement in achievement.
“These priorities are focused on lifting achievement and reflect the changes our Government has already made in education, including the requirement to teach one hour a day of reading, writing and maths in primary and intermediate school, and the ban of cellphone use in classrooms,” said the Minister.
“We have set an ambitious target to reach 80% of Year 8 students at or above the expected curriculum level for their age in reading, writing and maths by December 2030.”
