Taskforce Wants Sharper Focus On Reading And Maths

  • Nick Smith
Education

Education Minister Nick Smith today welcomed the Literacy Taskforce's report, saying it provided a roadmap towards achieving the Government's goal that 'by 2005, every child turning nine will be able to read, write and do maths.'

"Literacy is my number one priority. Comparative international research shows our best readers are amongst the world's best, but sadly our worst are also amongst the world's worst. We bear the costs of this failure in our prisons and in our dole queues. We must do better."

The Government established the Literacy Taskforce, compromising mostly principals and teachers, and the ten member Literacy Experts Group late last year to advise on how New Zealand could achieve it's literacy goal. The Report provides 13 specific recommendations on issues like assessment, teacher development, curriculum and the resource materials needed to support schools.

"A huge amount of work has gone in over the last decade in developing new curriculum in the seven key areas of learning. While the Taskforce supports this new curriculum, it recommends a sharper focus on student achievement on literacy in our early school years. I endorse this and will see that it is implemented through the National Education Guidelines."

"I also welcome the Taskforce's recommendation that the goal of having 'all nine year olds able to read, write and do maths' has got to be backed up by credible assessment tools that will allow progress to be accurately tracked".

Dr Smith said some of the recommendations of the Taskforce will be able to be implemented immediately. "Others are integral to decisions about to be made, particularly in policy areas such as assessment and teacher education. I hope to make these decisions soon."

"Achieving the literacy goal is the top education priority for this Government. We have already allocated over $27 million towards this, but money alone won't take us to success. As the Taskforce's report says, success will come from full community involvement. A public information campaign, which will be launched at the end of the month, will show parents, grandparents, other whanau and community members how to help their children learn."