Government to trial ‘intensive’ small-group mathematics programme for students falling behind

About 2000 students will participate in “intensive” small-group mathematics tutoring and tuition sessions next year as the Government tries to lift achievement rates.

The trial will involve students who are behind in their learning at schools and kura across the country.

It will run for 12 weeks and cost around $2 million.

Education Minister Erica Stanford told the reporters at Monday’s post-Cabinet press conference the “intensive” programme would help bring students up to the required curriculum level in maths.

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She had “no doubt” parents would want this intervention.

Stanford said the new programme was set up in response to teachers and principals who raised the gap in the education system with her.

“We have an unrelenting focus on lifting student achievement and closing the equity gap in our education system.”

Schools and parents can decide when sessions are run – such as during lunchtime, class time or after school.

A new maths curriculum for Years 0-8 will be introduced from Term 1 2025, a year earlier than initially planned.

The Government has also released new curriculum resources, including workbooks, teacher guides and lesson plans.

Stanford says that as of this morning, 1406 of 2203 eligible schools had placed orders for the resources.

Achievement data from the Curriculum Insights and Progress Study (Cips) showed only 22% of Year 8 students in New Zealand reached the benchmark for mathematics. This data was based on the new draft curriculum, with a higher benchmark compared with previous years.

This statistic spurred the Government to launch its “Make it Count” mathematics plan. The Government wants to get 80% of Year 8 students at or above the expected curriculum level by 2030.

Stanford said an evaluation of the trial would inform how it could be scaled up across the country from Term 3 next year.

It comes after the Government announced it had tasked NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) with considering two potential options for an additional Waitematā Harbour crossing in Auckland, with technical work expected to begin in the coming months.

It was the first significant update from the Government in months about a second crossing. Upon taking office, Transport Minister Simeon Brown was critical of the $56 billion option preferred by the previous Labour Government, which included two tunnels for cars and one for light rail, calling it “unachievable”.

There was limited information available about what two options the current Government was exploring, but they did involve a tunnel and a bridge.

Christopher Luxon was joined by Education Minister Erica Stanford for the post-Cabinet press conference on Monday. Photo / Mark Mitchell

Transport Minister Simeon Brwon confirmed the harbour crossing details over the weekend. Photo / Alex Burton

Brown told the Herald he had directed NZTA to “progress consideration of two options for an additional Waitematā Harbour crossing in Auckland” and the Government “expects an investment decision on this critical project to be received in mid-2026 to consider”.

Brown said that over the next 12 to 18 months NZTA would undertake geotechnical, environmental and utilities investigations to understand ground and seabed conditions. This was expected to begin either later this year or in early 2025, while an investment decision wasn’t expected to be considered by the Government until mid-2026.

Labour transport spokesman Tangi Utikere said his party would be open to all options on the table as it was “critical Auckland does get an additional harbour crossing”.

“Whether they land on a tunnel or a bridge, we’ll be open to supporting those options, because when it comes to infrastructure, it’s too important to be just sort of starting and stopping,” he told the Herald.

But Utikere believed the Government should be acting with “urgency” to come to a decision on what alternative crossing it will green-light. It was disappointing that decision was so far out, he said.

Adam Pearse is a political reporter in the NZ Herald press gallery team, based at Parliament. He has worked for NZME since 2018, covering sport and health for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei before moving to the Herald in Auckland, covering Covid-19 and crime.