Christopher Luxon holds a post-Cabinet press conference
Next week’s Budget will include nearly $100 million in funding over four years for students underachieving in maths, including $56m for the equivalent of 143 “maths intervention” teachers in primary schools.
From next year, all students will have their maths ability checked in their first two years of schooling.
Education Minister Erica Stanford said the “Maths Check” scheme would cost $4m and aims to identify students who need more support, similar to the literacy Phonics Check unveiled last year.
“Proficiency in maths is such an important foundation of success in life. Every child deserves the opportunity to be confident and capable in maths so they can reach their potential.
“The first two years of school are critical for developing foundational maths skills. Support in that time can transform a child’s learning journey,” she said.
Minister Erica Stanford speaks at the Prime Minister's post-Cabinet press conference. Photo / Mark Mitchell
New full-time maths intervention teachers would provide additional support to children in years 0-6 who were not achieving at curriculum level, she said.
Stanford said professional development would be available to teachers to ensure the maths checks were used effectively.
Labour’s education spokeswoman, Willow-Jean Prime, slammed the Government for asking teachers to do more “while picking their pockets” – seemingly in reference to the Government’s swift changes to pay equity legislation.
The reforms were announced without warning on Tuesday by Workplace Relations and Safety Minister Brooke van Velden, an Act Party member.
Protesters rally outside Minister Brooke van Velden’s electorate office in St John, Auckland, opposing the Government’s pay equity legislation. Photo / Jason Dorday
The changes overhaul a 2020 law establishing a regime to allow people in sectors with a large female workforce to argue that they were underpaid relative to similar work done in sectors dominated by men.
The changes, passed under urgency last week, will be retrospective. All 33 current claims will cease and those claimants would need to reapply under the new regime.
In a statement, Prime said maths was an important aspect of education and there should be good resourcing for it.
“But when you’re asking teachers, who are mostly women, to do more while picking their pockets. What message is National sending our kids?“
Labour MP Willow-Jean Prime. Photo / Mike Scott
Prime said Stanford needed to “front up and explain why she believes women, particularly those who are teachers, should be paid less than men. We are all waiting to hear it.”
$40m for intermediate maths
The remaining $40m will fund small-group maths tutoring for up to 34,000 Year 7-8 students each year from next year.
The scheme builds on the current maths tutoring pilot for 3000 students at intermediate school, which Stanford at Monday’s post-Cabinet press conference described as “highly successful”.
“An intervention at intermediate was vital to ensure those young people were experiencing success at high school.
“Early indications from the trial show that it has been hugely successful at raising achievement over a very short period of time.”
She said the scheme would help students get the foundational numeracy needed to be confident in NCEA.
All of these initiatives would also be introduced in te reo Māori, she said.
“When they stumble, we will intervene early to make sure they are confident in their abilities,” Stanford said in a message to parents.
She also thanked teachers and principals for their feedback on what support they needed in the classroom, saying: “We’ve listened and we are delivering.”
Stanford called the $100m primary and intermediate-school maths funding as a “game-changer”.
“It will raise achievement in our schools across the country.”
