8. Question No. 8—EducationCARL BATES (National—Whanganui) to the Minister of EducationQuestion No. 8—Education8. CARL BATES (National—Whanganui) to the Minister of Education: What announcements has she recently made on priorities for education?Hon ERICA STANFORD (Minister of Education): This week I announced six education priorities which will drive decision making and build a world-leading education system for New Zealand students. These priorities are establishing a clear year-by-year curriculum that details the knowledge skills and competencies that kids need to succeed implementing evidence-based approaches to teaching literacy and numeracy introducing more consistent reporting strengthening teacher training targeting effective learning support and interventions and using data and evidence to drive decision making. These priorities will support the Government to be laser-focused on ensuring that at least 80 percent of our kids are at curriculum by 2030.Carl Bates: Why did she make this announcement?Hon ERICA STANFORD: The persistent trends of decline in achievement and attendance must stop. Our current system in the words of the ministry itself does not deliver excellent or equitable outcomes". The equity gap is stubbornly wide; 20 percent of our tamariki Māori are at curriculum for maths at the end of year eight and in 2022 almost 10000 kids left school with no qualifications at all. My six education priorities represent a bold and significant shift away from an approach that is vague and devolved away from a pick-and-mix approach to assessment and away from a broken learning support system that fails to meet the needs of our students and has delivered poor results. We have a mandate for change and have been elected to deliver a high performing and internationally comparable education system.Carl Bates: How will this announcement help to turn around a persistent decline in student achievement?Hon ERICA STANFORD: These priorities will shape the direction of the education system. This work is already under way. From this term we have targeted regional professional learning and development funding across the country to focus on embedding structured approaches to literacy in both English and te reo developing assessment capabilities and practices including aromatawai for Māori-medium schools and supporting teachers to prepare students for the numeracy and literacy co-requisites at NCEA level 1. I am directing investment to the front line ensuring teachers get the support they need to drive these changes.Carl Bates: How will these priorities support her vision for education?Hon ERICA STANFORD: We are putting ambition and achievement back at the heart of our education system. Your means should not determine your destiny. My vision is not only to lift achievement but to close the equity gap that has plagued New Zealand society for too long. These priorities lay the foundations for change. Under this Government education and a social investment lens will deliver greater social mobility support breaking intergenerational cycles of poverty and build the pathways that allow every child to fulfil their potential and to be ambitious about their future."