What’s wrong? A 2023 study done under the last Government showed less than a quarter of students are meeting the expected curriculum level for their age in maths, with Year 3 at 20%, Year 6 at 28% and Year 8 at 22%. While some people have challenged this study, no one is challenging the 2022 study that found only 42% of Year 8 children met the standard; 22% or 42%, I believe we need to do better for our children.
Now let me repeat what I said here a month ago: “This is not the fault of teachers or students. And much as the last Government didn’t help things, this issue is bigger than politics. This is the product of years of drift and decay by a system that has become utterly distracted from the values we all care about: achievement, opportunity, and success.”
I am not laying the blame locally or at the feet of our teachers. I know from the five teachers in my immediate family, and from my time chairing a school board, the challenges our schools face. And, like every parent, this is really important to me.
I’ve offered to visit every school, and the many that have taken this up have proudly shown me around their amazing schools. After each one I’ve taken their feedback directly to our Education Minister Erica Stanford, and she has personally written to each principal to acknowledge their feedback and ideas. We acknowledge the huge challenges they face, some decades in the making, and is why we’re taking bold steps like in maths and literacy.
Some local schools have created art to go in my offices. Check out the photo of the amazing art from Taitoko School in Levin that I was presented with last week. I love it. And I’m looking forward to the art that I know other schools are working on.
I’ve also organised free gumboots for schools that have children who are in need of a little help. It’s a small but tangible way of showing my support for our fantastic schools.
Further, I invited every principal in our electorate to meet with Minister Stanford here this week. It’s really important to me that every sector of our community gets the chance to have a say and give feedback. I’ll continue to make opportunities and I’ve once again offered to all schools that I’m happy to come and meet them and speak directly.
I love our schools and I value our children, and that’s why I’ll keep working hard to ensure we lift achievement and our children get the best possible education.
Surely that’s something we can all unite over.
