Every child deserves a chance to thrive at maths, Royal Society report says. Photo / 123RF
Every child deserves a chance to thrive at maths, Royal Society report says. Photo / 123RF
Education officials say they will take on board the lessons from a new report into why our maths education is failing - and say they share many of its concerns.
The Royal Society's report, published on Sunday, called for sweeping changes across the school system in the face of years of declining maths achievement.
The Ministry of Education had asked a panel of independent experts to look at curriculum issues such as what learners need to know and when they need to know it by.
But the final report took a broader approach, warning changing the curriculum would not halt New Zealand's maths decline unless we also fixed the many issues in how maths is taught.
Recommendations in the 56-page report include ending grouping by ability within classes, ongoing maths training for teachers, and introducing complex concepts much earlier.
The panel's chair, Distinguished Professor Gaven Martin, told the Herald if all the recommendations were applied, it would still take a decade to see results. He feared there was no political will for such a long-term project.
"I would love to be able to say that things are going to change for the better but I'm not confident."
The Ministry of Education's deputy secretary for early learning and student achievement, Ellen MacGregor-Reid, said the ministry welcomed the Royal Society's views and shared many of its concerns about maths achievement levels and how maths was taught.
Ministry of Education deputy secretary for early learning and student achievement Ellen MacGregor-Reid. Photo / Supplied
The panel's advice would be "taken into consideration" and would help inform two key pieces of work - a refresh of the New Zealand Curriculum, and a new maths and statistics strategy.
Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti said some of the report's recommendations had already begun - including "phasing out streaming, providing quality professional learning development for teachers and reducing inequities in education".
Labour's associate education minister, former Merivale School principal Jan Tinetti. Photo / NZME
"We know that maths can't be left to chance – it's a critical subject. We want to encourage a positive attitude towards mathematics. Every child deserves to see themselves as a capable mathematician in their everyday life."
"That is what we are aiming to achieve through the curriculum refresh, so teachers have the flexibility to meet the needs of their students."
National education spokesman Paul Goldsmith called for the Government to heed the changes recommended by the panel, which he said echoed many of National's themes for fixing New Zealand's education system.
National Party education spokesman Paul Goldsmith. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Those included "great teachers, teaching subjects that they know well" and having robust measurements of progress "so we know whether our kids are learning or not".
The report's recommendations went to "the core of the flaws within our current system", which were not confined to maths.
"Education is the greatest opportunity provided to all New Zealanders to reach their potential, regardless of background, and it is the foundation of our nation's future prosperity."
National was determined to turn that around when in government, he said.
He told the Herald he agreed with Martin's concerns about streaming children at primary school, saying New Zealand should focus on "getting the basics through to everyone".
But he noted Martin was not opposed to streaming in senior school.
"I certainly wouldn't agree with moves to ban secondary schools from all streaming."
