Education Reforms Passed to Lift Achievement, Attendance and Free Speech

“Student achievement is at the heart of the education reforms we are introducing — reforms grounded in evidence and ambitious for our young people,” said Stanford.

New Zealand’s Government has passed a sweeping set of education reforms with the Education and Training Amendment Bill (No. 2) clearing its third reading in Parliament. The new legislation introduces measures to lift student achievement and attendance, strengthen governance and teacher standards, and protect freedom of expression in universities.

Education Minister Erica Stanford said the reforms reflect the Government’s determination to refocus New Zealand’s education system on the fundamentals of learning, while also modernising how schools, teachers, and tertiary institutions operate.

“Student achievement is at the heart of the education reforms we are introducing — reforms grounded in evidence and ambitious for our young people,” said Stanford. “This legislation ensures our education system is responsive, well-governed, and focused on delivering better outcomes for every learner.”

The Bill represents one of the most comprehensive education overhauls in recent years, aligning with the Government’s Education Action Plan 2025, which prioritises academic excellence, attendance, accountability, and freedom of thought in education.

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Lifting Achievement and Attendance: Schools Held to Higher Standards

A central feature of the new Act is a sharpened focus on student achievement and attendance. For the first time, school boards will be legally required to make raising educational achievement their highest priority objective.

The Bill also introduces new supporting objectives for schools, including:

• Improving student attendance as a measure of engagement and success.

• Strengthening the use of assessment data to track progress and target interventions.

This shift will see boards, principals, and teachers held more accountable for student outcomes, with the Ministry of Education providing clearer guidance on standards and performance expectations.

“For too long, our system has lacked focus,” said Stanford. “These changes make it clear that lifting achievement is the single most important thing our schools must do.”

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STAR Framework: A Nation-Wide Attendance Response

Complementing the achievement reforms, the Act formalises the Stepped Attendance Response (STAR) system — a tiered approach to tackling chronic absenteeism.

Associate Education Minister David Seymour said the mandatory attendance management plans will be based on STAR and rolled out from Term 1, 2026.

“STAR means Stepped Attendance Response,” Seymour explained. “It introduces escalating responses when attendance drops — at 90%, 80%, and 70% — with schools, families, and agencies working together to get kids back in class.”

Each school will develop its own STAR-based attendance management plan suited to its community, within a national framework. The approach balances local flexibility with consistent expectations across the country.

“Every student, parent, teacher, and school has a role to play at each step,” Seymour said. “We are restoring the culture that school attendance is non-negotiable.”

The introduction of STAR builds on earlier reforms in the Education (Training) Amendment Bill (Term Attendance) passed earlier in 2025, which established the foundation for case-managed, data-driven attendance systems.

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Strengthening the Teaching Profession and Governance

The new law also delivers a series of reforms to teacher training, professional standards, and education workforce governance, ensuring New Zealand’s teaching profession is robust and accountable.

Key changes include:

• Tougher initial teacher education (ITE) requirements, ensuring new teachers are better prepared for the classroom.

• Enhanced disciplinary and competence processes within the Teaching Council, ensuring consistent and fair accountability.

• Revised Teaching Council membership composition to improve representation and transparency.

The Government says these changes are essential to restore confidence in the teaching profession, which has faced increasing scrutiny over variable quality and governance.

“Strong teaching is the foundation of student success,” Stanford said. “We’re strengthening the systems that ensure every teacher is capable, supported, and accountable.”

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Requiring Seven Days’ Notice for Strike Action

In a move designed to reduce disruption for families and students, the Bill also extends the required strike notice period for teacher unions from three to seven days.

The Government said this change balances the right to industrial action with the need to give schools and parents more time to plan when strikes occur.

“The goal is fairness and predictability,” Stanford noted. “We respect the right to strike, but we also have a duty to minimise disruption for children’s learning and for working families.”

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Safeguarding Academic Freedom and Free Speech in Universities

In the tertiary sector, the legislation introduces new requirements to uphold freedom of expression and academic freedom across universities and tertiary institutions.

From 2026, every university will be required to:

• Develop and publish a Freedom of Expression Statement, setting out its commitment to open debate and intellectual diversity.

• Establish a complaints process for students and staff who believe their academic freedom or right to free speech has been infringed.

• Report annually on measures taken to promote and protect freedom of expression on campus.

Tertiary Education and Science Minister Dr Shane Reti said these measures will strengthen universities’ role as bastions of open inquiry.

“Universities should be places where diverse perspectives are welcomed, debate is encouraged, and students are empowered to think critically,” said Dr Reti. “These requirements ensure that academic freedom is not just an aspiration but a living principle.”

He added that in recent years, international examples — including campus protests and speaker cancellations — have shown the need for clearer policies and accountability to ensure universities remain spaces for open, democratic discourse.

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Ensuring a Fit-for-Purpose Education System

Together, the Bill’s reforms are designed to modernize the education system’s governance, ensuring that institutions remain effective, evidence-based, and student-centered.

The Ministry of Education will now work with schools, teacher education providers, and tertiary institutions to implement the changes, including:

• New guidance for school boards on achievement and attendance priorities.

• Updated criteria for teacher registration and performance reviews.

• National templates and indicators for attendance management plans.

• Oversight mechanisms for university freedom of expression policies.

“This legislation creates an education system fit for purpose — one that lifts achievement, ensures accountability, and celebrates the freedom to learn and debate,” Stanford said.

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A Unified Commitment to Educational Excellence

The passage of the Education and Training Amendment Bill (No. 2) represents a coalition milestone, fulfilling commitments made in the National–ACT coalition agreement to refocus the education system on achievement, attendance, and institutional integrity.

The reforms have been broadly welcomed by education leaders for providing clarity of direction, though some unions have raised concerns about increased administrative pressures. The Government has committed to supporting schools and teachers through the transition.

“These changes are about raising the bar,” said Stanford. “When we focus on evidence, accountability, and excellence, our young people thrive — and that’s what these reforms are all about.”

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Looking Ahead

Implementation of the Bill’s provisions will begin in early 2026, with key milestones including:

• STAR attendance plans required by January 25, 2026.

• University reporting on free speech policies from mid-2026.

• Revised teacher education standards rolled out for the 2026 academic year.

The reforms form part of the Government’s Education Roadmap to 2030, which aims to rebuild New Zealand’s reputation for academic excellence and educational equity.

As Stanford concluded:

“Education is the foundation of opportunity. These reforms make sure every young New Zealander can learn, think, and succeed — in school, in university, and in life.”