New resources and support for teachers to lift maths achievement will be paid for by cutting back a programme that helps them learn te reo Māori.
Education Minister Erica Stanford said $30 million was needed for maths workbooks, guidance, and lesson plans for the 2025 school year, which had to be sourced from somewhere.
Stanford said just 22% of Year 8 students were at the expected standard for maths.
However, that figure came from testing pupils against the new maths curriculum and not the curriculum they were currently using. The achievement rate for Year 8 students under the current curriculum was 42%.
“Just 45% of high school students are passing foundational maths. I am not prepared to look parents in the eye and allow the 60,000 kids starting school next year to be on a similar trajectory,” she said.
“Maths achievement needs to be prioritised.”
Students currently enrolled in the programme would be able to complete their course until the end of the year when it would close.
Since 2019, $100m has been set aside for teachers to learn te reo Māori, but Stanford said there was no evidence it directly impacted students and their achievement.
The te reo Māori initiative was not accredited and was more than double the cost of similar courses available, she said.
“An evaluation of the programme found no evidence it directly impacted progress and achievements for students. The review also couldn’t qualify what impact the programme had on te reo Māori use in the classroom.”
“This government is committed to the revitalisation of te reo Māori and recognises the importance of the language in our schools,” Stanford said.
“We will work with the Wānanga, tertiary providers and private training establishments to continue to make similar courses available free of charge. Funding for te reo Māori courses in Māori medium schools and kura will also remain.”
From October 21, primary schools will be able to choose the maths resources and supports that best suit them, from a range of approved suppliers.
Stanford said the resources will be sent to schools to begin using from the start of term 1 next year.
The resources will also be available in te reo Māori “so there is equitable access across our education system,” she said.
The funding that has been diverted to maths resources has come from Te Ahu o te Reo Māori.
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