The Government backs down from giving final sign-off on fast-track approvals bill projects and Blockhouse Bay homicide scene examination continues in today's NZ Herald headlines.
The current Government’s plan to bring forward changes to the New Zealand math curriculum has some Bay principals expressing “deep concerns”.
This month, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon announced a new structured maths curriculum for primary and intermediate school children, which included extra professional development for teachers, interventions for children struggling with the topic, and twice-yearly assessments, would kick off at the start of 2025.
The Rotorua Principals’ Association said in a statement the curriculum change was implemented at an “alarming” pace and placed “undue strain” on schools and educators.
The principals’ statement said the government’s deadline for the changes did not adequately consider the practical challenges faced by schools, particularly in rural areas, and that they believed the demands for extensive professional development and curriculum adjustments lacked the necessary support.
Lynmore School principal Hinei Taute. Photo / Andrew Warner
“We recognise the importance of evolving our education system to address the needs of all students, however, the current timeline for these changes is unrealistic.”
Education Minister Erica Stanford said she acknowledged there had been a lot of changes in the nine months and there would be more to come because results needed to change.
Hinei Taute, Rotorua Principals’ Association president and Lynmore Primary School principal, told NZME most schools in the Rotorua region had already developed their strategic plan for 2025 and leaders would now need to take extra time to consider the new curriculum.
With a shortage of relief teachers nationwide, Taute said “it’s not unusual” for principals to step in and teach classes weekly, fortnightly or monthly, depending on the school, impairing their ability to lead effectively and manage curriculum changes collaboratively with their staff.
“If you really want to make a good shot of implementing a new curriculum, you need the time and the resources to work with your teachers.”
Taute said she believed the data used to justify the changes was misrepresented and, in her view, that created a sense of crisis that did not accurately reflect the realities within many schools.
In an article published by RNZ, the data was revealed to be taken from a small sample of students and was measured against the 2023 draft of the new maths curriculum that has yet to be introduced in schools.
Western Bay of Plenty Principals’ Association executive president and Ōmokoroa No 1 School principal Craig Pentecost said it was less common for principals in Western Bay to stand in as teachers due to the larger sizes of schools.
But Pentecost said he had concerns around staffing levels and a lack of applicants for full-time positions, with “big challenges” ahead next year.
Tauriko School principal Suzanne Billington said the adapted curriculum had a “very tight turnaround”, and educators took about two years to adapt to a new curriculum.
“My concern would be that the professional learning is in place for school leaders in maths,” she said.
Tauriko School principal Suzanne Billington pictured in 2021. Photo / George Novak
The government would need to continue providing teacher-only days for the refresh and provide those dates “quite quickly” so school leaders could understand the changes.
“We need to have a deep understanding of how the new curriculum is structured, what that means for our existing practice, and how we will adapt to enhance what we’re doing,” Billington said.
Education Minister Erica Stanford said the “Make it Count” maths action plan would help turn around the current level of achievement so children were equipped with the “knowledge, skills and competencies” they needed.
“I have heard loud and clear from the sector it is not delivering the right service, to the right child, at the right time,” Stanford said.
“For too long, teachers have been let down by a system that is not clearly focused on the things they need to make a difference at the frontline. For our kids to get a world-leading education, our teachers need to get world-leading training and professional development.”
Stanford said the government would work with providers to support teachers making this change, including introducing teacher guides and student workbooks in classrooms across New Zealand, and shifting $20 million to become available for professional development in maths.
The Teaching Council will strengthen the maths component for student teachers, and Cabinet will soon consider a work programme with priorities of targeting effective learning support interventions for students with additional needs.
Stanford said she was also establishing a reference group to support this work alongside ongoing engagement with sector reference groups.
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said new data from the Curriculum Insights and Progress Study showed that last year about 50,000 children in Year 8 did not meet the expected benchmark for maths.
