4 minute read
Improving learning outcomes
By Natasha Parrant
Minister of Education Chris Hipkins and Associate Ministers of Education, Jan Tinetti and Kelvin Davis, stated the government wants to come up with a plan to help improve children’s learning outcomes in subjects such as literacy, maths, communication, te reo matatini, and pāngarau.
The two new strategies will hopefully support more teachers to have more confidence and knowledge in these subjects over the next five years. The plan has been introduced to help improve how and what kids are learning at school. The Ministry of Education (MoE) has listened to teachers, parents and experts in academic subjects on how to develop two new strategies to improve children’s learning outcomes.
Tamariki’s maths and literacy outcomes in particular need to improve, Jan says. The MoE will achieve this plan by supporting teachers and ensuring they have the resources, skills, and knowledge to be great teachers. Jan also says New Zealand must defeat the inequity in the system because tamariki can be good at these subjects if they have the right help and motivation from teachers and parents. “The Literacy, Communication and Maths Strategy and Hei Raukura Mō Te Mokopuna will help ensure we reach our goals of making Aotearoa the best place in the world to be a child,” Chris says. Aotearoa statistics show some tamariki find it difficult to learn these subjects and some minority communities, such as Maori rangatahi, are finding it challenging to learn because there’s a lack of resources, teachers and support. The government plans to ensure no child is left behind. Kelvin says it’s important to put mokopuna first so they can experience success in their lifetime. The plan also aims to make sure teachers become more confident in teaching a variety of subjects to tamariki and won’t set them up for failure. Improving the current system is important because “too many students arrive at secondary school without basic reading, writing, and math skills,” she says. A 2020 UNICEF report released on the same week the strategies were released, on March 25th, which includes data from the National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement (NMSSA) in 2019, shows only 63 percent of Year 4 and 56 percent of Year 8 students were at or above the expected level of reading comprehension. The amount of Year four pupils at or above the expected level of writing was 63 percent but decreases to only 35 percent by the time pupils are in Year 8. The strategies outline the importance of teaching a variety of subjects at a high quality that is understandable, easily accessible, and allows teachers to develop their skills. “The strategies talk a lot about supporting educators, young people, schools and kura,” Melanie says. “This support… is crucial for ensuring the strategies do indeed reduce educational inequities, lift achievement and give all young people in Aotearoa the best life chances.” Wellington-based St Brigid’s School teacher, Angela Sheldon, shares her opinion on the strategies. The strategies are consistent, timely, and offer accessible professional development for Kaiako throughout schools in the country, she says. Another positive aspect is the strategy highlights whanau engagement, which is important as there’s a lot of research/evidence that shows pupils’ learning outcomes are positively impacted when schools and whanau unite.
Angela believes there have been good and bad periods of tamariki’s maths and literacy outcomes in the past. “We have had times where change hasn’t always been driven by clear/ good evidence. For example, the whole language approach of the 1980s and the numeracy project. “We have often ‘thrown the baby out with the bathwater’ and haven’t been encouraged to keep what has been working in our practice, instead, overhauling practice in what felt like change for the sake of change. “We have also had periods of better outcomes for students in maths and literacy. “For example, there was international interest in Marie Clay’s reading recovery programmme because of the good results we had in literacy at the time.
“Now, we need more than reading recovery to address the inconsistencies at school entry of skills, knowledge, and experiences.”
Professional support will be provided for teachers to help make these subjects easier and more enjoyable for tamariki to follow.
PPTA Te Wehengarua president, Melanie Webber, responded to the strategies in a PPTA media release. She says the “detail, delivery, and dedicated resourcing” will be what determines whether or not these two new strategies succeed. “We haven’t had a literacy or maths strategy for 20 years, so we commend the government for these blueprints. They are sorely needed.”
