Overhaul of Maths Education Announced to Address Decline in Achievement

To address this issue, the Government is launching the "Make It Count" maths action plan, which will take effect from the start of next year.

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Education Minister Erica Stanford have announced a major overhaul of New Zealand's maths education system to address the country's concerning achievement levels. New data from the Curriculum Insights and Progress Study (CIPS) reveals that only 22% of Year 8 students meet the expected curriculum benchmark for mathematics, with just 12% of Māori students achieving at the expected level and 63% of the Year 8 cohort falling over a year behind.

"That equates to approximately 50,000 Year 8 students who did not meet the expected benchmark for maths last year," Mr. Luxon stated. "These results reflect a total system failure, and it's clear that for years, we haven't been setting our children up for success. If we aren't setting our kids up for success, we aren't setting New Zealand up for success."

To address this issue, the Government is launching the "Make It Count" maths action plan, which will take effect from the start of next year. The plan includes three key components:

Curriculum: A new structured maths curriculum for Year 0-8 students will be introduced a year earlier than planned, starting Term 1, 2025. This curriculum will be based on successful models from the OECD, such as those used in Singapore and Australia, and adapted for New Zealand. Teacher guides and student workbooks will be provided to support this transition.

Workforce: A $20 million investment will be allocated for professional development in structured maths for teachers. Additionally, the Teaching Council will require new teachers to have at least NCEA Level 2 maths to ensure a higher standard of teacher preparedness.

Assessment: Twice-yearly standardised assessments for maths will be implemented from 2025, with small group interventions for students significantly behind the curriculum level to provide targeted support.

Ms. Stanford emphasized that these changes aim to address both the curriculum and teacher preparedness while also improving assessment methods. "By introducing a new, knowledge-rich curriculum and supporting our teachers, we aim to close the equity gap and ensure every child has the opportunity to succeed," she said.

The "Make It Count" plan is part of a broader strategy to transform maths education and set New Zealand up for future success.