Plan to overhaul teaching of maths and literacy revealed

School desks (file image)

Changes needed to the teaching of literacy and maths across mainstream schools and kura kaupapa Māori have been revealed by the Ministry of Education, in an attempt to improve outcomes for students.

Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti and Education Minister Chris Hipkins released the new strategy on Friday, after Cabinet agreed in 2021 to develop the strategies to improve teaching and learning outcomes.

It’s part of a wider programme of work the Education Ministry has been tasked with to improve equity for students in the education system and to ensure it reflects Te Tiriti o Waitangi. This includes updating the New Zealand Curriculum for mainstream schools and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa for kura kaupapa Māori.

At age 15, Around one in five students have poor reading or maths skills, according to the latest research.

Hei Raukura Mō te Mokopuna, a strategy for te reo matatini (the many facets of language) and pāngarau (kaupapa mathematics), is focused on teaching these subjects in a culturally appropriate way that improves outcomes for Māori.

The strategy document states it expects it "to result in increased well being, higher educational outcomes and qualifications, and better job opportunities for mokopuna".

The strategy notes these subjects have previously been documented as having "huge potential for perpetuating colonisation of Māori thought".

The Literacy & Communication and Maths Strategy calls for the subjects to be clear within the curriculum so teachers have more information on how to effectively teach them.

The strategy states the changes should "strive to find a good balance" between a nationally consistent approach and schools being able to make adaptations.

Actions include improvements to assessment, support, learning resources, evaluations and building relationships with whānau and the wider community.

'Develop guidance on how to teach literacy and communication in schooling, as part of a common practice model', is one of the actions for making teaching expectations explicit.

In maths, one of the actions is to develop a specialist workforce who can provide personalised support to students with extra learning needs, such as having dyslexia or being gifted.

"Over time, implementation of this strategy will put in place a more effective system for additional literacy and communication and maths support along the whole learning pathway," the strategy states.

The timeframe for implementation is largely dependent on Government decisions.

The maths and literacy achievement rates of 15-year-olds have been declining for around 20 years, with significant drops between 2009 and 2012 assessment cycles, according to an OECD report.

Just over 80% of students met the baseline reading performance level in 2018, which is higher than the OECD average of 77%.

For maths, 22% of 15-year-olds were below the baseline level where students begin to show skills that would allow them to participate in real life situations that require mathematical skills. The OECD average was 24%.

The National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement reported that in 2019, 63% of Year 4 students were at or above the curriculum level while 56% of Year 8 students were at or above the curriculum level. In 2018, the same study assessment found 81% of Year 4 students were at or above the mathematics and statistics curriculum level but this dropped to 45% achievement for Year 8 students.

A report from The Education Hub released on Monday titled ‘Now I don’t know my ABC,’ said that limited data makes it impossible to build a full picture of literacy achievement in Aotearoa, but the overall picture is "concerning".

The report state the country’s lack of a national literacy strategy is one of many possible factors as to why literacy levels are low.

Consultation with different groups in the creation of the strategy highlighted a range of concerns and issues with the current system. The amount of autonomy in the current curriculum and education system puts pressure on schools and individual teachers.

"Ensuring greater coherence and clarity will enable teachers and leaders to be confident they understand and are meeting national expectations while also being adaptive to the strengths, needs, and expectations of their communities," a report covering feedback on what informed the strategy states.

Whānau also want greater clarity on what children will learn, their progress and what support is available.

A range of employers said a basic level of literacy, communication and numeracy skills is needed to participate in life after school. Strong skills help with transitioning from school into work or further study, and later transitioning between different work roles and industries.

"People in industry are spending time upskilling trainees and employees to meet basic levels of literacy and numeracy," the report states.

Maths experts shared multiple challenges with the current system, including some teachers expressing they don’t have the knowledge required to teach maths effectively and a lack of understanding in how to teach the subject appropriately to a range of different cultures.

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