March 28, 2023
Culture below bottom line in National education plan
National Party leader Chris Luxon says his party’s education policy will be good for Māori and Pasifika students.
The back-to-basics formula has been slammed by principals and teacher unions as out of step with the improvements in the sector and a repackaging of National’s failed national standards policy.
But Mr Luxon says two-thirds of high school students failed to meet the minimum NCEA standard in reading, writing and maths – while just 34 per cent of Pasifika students and 50 per cent of Māori students passed the reading test.
He says an hour a day of structured reading, writing and maths would dramatically improve Maori and Pasifika results.
“It’s been great to see more cultural appreciation coming into the curriculum but the bottom line is, I’m telling you if you can’t do the math, and you’re not numerate, and you’re not literate, it’s going to be a big problem for your future prospects in the world,” Mr Luxon says.