Lifting achievement in our schools
Over the last few weeks I’ve been writing to all the new Board of Trustee members at our local schools, congratulating them for their election and thanking them in advance for the work ahead.
Our local schools depend on parents putting themselves forward to help out. This is so important because we know that kids do better at school (and in life) when parents get involved in their education.
It’s an exciting time in education with a lot happening, and a big focus on lifting achievement.
We know that around one in five students leave school without the basic reading, writing and maths skills they need. This is a worrying statistic and the government is determined to get better results.
Last week the government announced some big changes to how the Ministry of Education supports teachers and students. 50 experts from the Ministry will start working directly with schools most at need, helping them lift achievement levels. Principals and teachers have told us this is the kind of direct assistance has needed for a long time.
Some schools will need only a little help to lift achievement levels, while others will need more.
National Standards begin in primary and intermediate schools this year and will help us identify students who are falling behind. The Standards are signposts which show what Year 1 to 8 children should be able to achieve in reading, writing, and maths, and by when. Parents receive plain language reports on their child’s progress twice a year.
Feedback from some local parents I’ve spoken to is that they appreciate the simple reporting structure and clearly understanding how their child is doing at school.
Like any new system there will need to be ‘tweaks’ and improvements made along the way to ensure parents and guardians are getting the information they need and deserve.
We’re also investing an extra $36 million over four years into students who we find are falling behind.
It won’t be easy, but we need to do a much better job of supporting these students who have been falling through the cracks for too long.