7. Question No. 7—EducationGRANT McCALLUM (National—Northland) to the Minister of EducationQuestion No. 7—EducationGRANT McCALLUM (National—Northland): My question is to the Minister of Education—[Interruption from gallery]SPEAKER: Just wait. [Interruption from gallery] Grant McCallum.7. GRANT McCALLUM (National—Northland) to the Minister of Education: What recent announcements has she made about improving the way New Zealand children learn to read?Hon ERICA STANFORD (Minister of Education): Thank you Mr Speaker. Last week I announced that beginning in term 1 2025 all children in State primary schools will learn to read using structured literacy approaches. Structured literacy gives children the foundational skills they need to master reading starting with sounds and phonics to decode words and is fundamentally based on explicit teaching material with a clear sequence. We are putting $67 million from Budget 2024 in to ensure that teachers are supported by this approach and schools have the resources and supports they need to transform how our kids are learning to read both in English and te reo Māori. This announcement together with the cell phone ban and the hour a day" policy is just the start of our plan to put achievement back at the heart of our education system so our kids get a world-leading education.Grant McCallum: What feedback has she seen about this announcement?Hon ERICA STANFORD: I've received strong support—overwhelmingly strong support—from the sector. From a board chairman: "I love your enthusiasm for proper structured learning and especially for doing something decent and long term to fix the atrocious state of reading and writing." From a principal: "Great news. From a secondary perspective I'm very excited about this change and look forward to seeing the results coming through in a few years to us." From a junior school team leader: "Thank you so much for your strong statement on structured literacy. This would have to be the best news I've ever heard in my 20-year-long career to date. Follow the neuroscience not the theories. I'm so pleased that a Government is finally putting their foot down and standing by what works for all children."Grant McCallum: What evidence does she have to support the need for structured literacy in New Zealand schools?Hon ERICA STANFORD: Just yesterday the OECD Economic Survey of New Zealand 2024 made recommendations for a clearer curriculum—something I'm pleased to say this Government is already actioning. It also makes the following statement: "Teachers are overly reliant on Reading Recovery that fails to improve learning outcomes for a significant minority of children" and recommends that the Government "Continue to expand support to alternative interventions … including structured literacy …". This is a Government of action. Funding for reading recovery will be repurposed directly into the front line resourcing schools to provide small-group and one-on-one structured approaches to literacy so our structured literacy approach will be consistently delivered.Grant McCallum: Why is change urgently needed to transform the way New Zealand children learn to read?Hon ERICA STANFORD: Recent data shows that just 56 percent of year 8 students are at the expected level for reading and 35 percent for writing. The recent OECD report stated that an important reason for turning around a trend decline in New Zealand school education performance—including in literacy and numeracy and increasing education outcomes—is that it is key to ensuring the future performance of the economy and the wellbeing of all New Zealanders. I could not agree more. This Government has set an ambitious target to get at least 80 percent of year 8 students to curriculum by 2030. Learning to read will ensure our children can achieve success in education and life. Teaching using structured literacy approaches are a critical part of how we get there."