I’m sure you will all be aware of the announcement from the Prime Minister recently about maths achievement in schools in Aotearoa.

The announcement stated that across the country, just 22% of Year Eight students were achieving at the expected level in mathematics. It is important to dig a little deeper into the data presented in this announcement.  Accuracy is important in maths after all!  This data was formed on a very small sample size in (42 schools and 853 children) and is based on assessments against the newly refreshed curriculum which was still in draft form, has not been taught from and sets a different standard for expectation than the current curriculum (and which has now been binned in favour of a new, new curriculum).  One of the authors of the study, Dr Charles Darr states: "What we’re seeing in mathematics is a change in curriculum and a new benchmarking process rather than a change in achievement."  There was other data that the PM could have used which would have been a better representation of maths achievement. The most accurate tool for countrywide assessment is NMSA  (National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement), which assesses a bigger sample size from a mix of schools. This was last done for Maths in 2022. The NMMSA report showed there was little to no decline in Year Eight maths achievement from 2013 to 2022.  

Having said this, we all agree that there needs to be better support and direction for New Zealand schools so that we can work together to lift student achievement in mathematics. We would all love all children to be achieving at the right level. Is there more work to be done? Yes, absolutely! Would we like more resourcing for professional learning? Always!!! Would we like more learning support for students who are struggling? Definitely!!! I just don’t think the best way to go about this is the manipulation and presentation of questionable data to deliberately create panic.

Having said all of the above I can let you know that the data for student achievement in mathematics at Māpua School is excellent.  Measured against current curriculum expectations, 93% of our students are achieving at or above expectation.  This is achieved by having programmes which are planned to meet the needs of all learners, providing ongoing opportunities for professional learning for teachers and using a variety of methods to match the myriad of ways our tamariki best learn.  

We will be approaching the consultation and implementation of the newly designed curriculum with an open mind.  We will hope to see the support and structure for our learners that has been lacking across the country.  We will do our very best to consult, learn and implement a new curriculum in the ridiculously short time frame we have been presented with. We will remain optimistic that the support promised materialises and that it is in a form that helps our teachers use their skills and expertise to make the learning of mathematics a rich and empowering process for all learners.  We will be resistant to any approach which is not research based, ignores the cultural context of Aotearoa  or is a one size fits all package because, quite simply, this is not the best for our tamariki and that is what drives everything we do at Māpua School.

Ngā mihi

Sharon