- Hon Erica Stanford
New literacy and numeracy achievement data reinforces why the Government must continue to have a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.
"The latest Curriculum Insights & Progress Study (CIPS) data was collected in Term 4 2024 and provides a snapshot of achievement prior to the introduction of our education reform programme this year. The data reconfirms why it was mission critical to have a laser focus on reading, writing and maths in classrooms this year."
The results show the Government has stemmed the decline of maths achievement starting with the introduction of an hour a day of reading, writing and maths in 2024. The results also show for the first time, the national level of writing achievement against the new curriculum.
- 23 per cent of Year 8 students are at the curriculum benchmark for mathematics, up from 22 per cent in 2023.
- 24 per cent of Year 8 students are at curriculum for writing.
"We are highly ambitious for Kiwi kids. We want them to have the strong foundations they need to do the best they can at school and beyond. Parents can have confidence this Government has and will take decisive and deliberate actions to make this happen by prioritising student achievement," Ms Stanford says.
"Our Government's major education reforms are now well underway. After learning last year that just 22 per cent of Year 8s were at curriculum in maths in 2023, we swiftly launched our Make It Count maths action plan to transform maths education.
"We delivered quickly on our promise to mandate structured literacy in all primary schools to respond to the decades of decline in reading.
"We've introduced a world-leading Maths and English curriculum, equipped teachers and students with high-quality resources, surged in targeted interventions for students who need extra help and made seismic investments into learning support.
"Early signs show our reforms are making a difference. As they bed in, we expect students are more likely to reach their full potential."
