WELLINGTON, Dec. 12 (Xinhua) -- The New Zealand government has taken the first steps to turn around a decline in educational achievement among Kiwi children, Education Minister Chris Hipkins said on Tuesday.
The new standards will focus on the progress and achievement of all children across the New Zealand curriculum, in response to the declining reading levels of New Zealand children in recent years, Hipkins said in a statement.
Parents will receive reports on their child's progress and achievement in maths, reading and writing as well as across the curriculum areas, which will focus on children's progress, rather than measuring them against arbitrary national standards, Hipkins said.
"The reports, written in plain English, will relate to where their child is at, at a given point, and the progress shift that has occurred, rather than being judged against others," he said.
The minister said that they will take the next few months to work with the sector, students, parents, and community to develop a new approach for understanding progress across the curricula that will meet their needs, and contribute to the education system supporting the success of all students, he said, adding the new approach will strengthen partnerships between home and school.
The Ministry of Education is issuing good practice guidance to schools so as to give them more flexibility in the assessment tools they use in their planning, teaching and reporting practices, Hipkins said.
