Achievement Boost, Equity Gap Closing in Schools
The Government is continuing to raise achievement and close the equity gap in schools across the country, so all Kiwi kids have the knowledge, skills and competencies they need to reach their full potential, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.
The Governments’ ambitious changes reflect the responsibility we have to these children and young people, to ensure their experiences with our education system deliver consistent high-quality, services that set students up for future success.
As students start back at school this week for Term 2, they will benefit from:
“I’ve asked the Education Review Office (ERO) to track closely how well our new approaches are working, and the emerging findings are encouraging.” Ms Stanford says.
ERO has found:
“After the first term of implementing structured literacy approaches through the new national curriculum, this is a testament to the incredible work of our teachers. We know how important it is for our schools to be supported, which is why I’ve asked ERO to keep me updated to ensure that schools receive the support they need.”
“Everything we are doing in English medium schools we are providing in te reo Māori. No matter where you are in the country, parents can have confidence that this Government is putting the foundations in place for their child to reach their full potential at school,”
“We want Kiwi kids to learn in safe, warm and dry classrooms. It is crucial school property is delivered effectively and efficiently across the country so more students, teachers and communities benefit from suitable learning environments,”
“There has been a 35 percent increase in the number of standardised and repeatable designs, allowing us to reduce the price per classroom by 28 percent and built 137 more classrooms in 2024 than in 2023.” Ms Stanford says.
Through the Government’s decisive action to improve efficiency and performance in school property delivery, $100 million has been freed up to deliver new schools and more classrooms across the country in areas that have growing populations.
“Thank you to our amazing principals, teachers and support staff for your incredibly hard work in implementing this transformational system reform. Our plan is setting every child in New Zealand up for success and restoring ambition and achievement at the heart of the education system,” Ms Stanford says.
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/raising-achievement-closing-equity-gap-school