Talking Politics With Sam Uffindell Tauranga City MP

National is committed to Teaching the Basics Brilliantly and completely uplifting our education system. We will ensure every child has the skills they need in reading, writing, maths and science to set them up for further success.

All primary and intermediate schools will teach an hour each of reading, writing and maths every day. We will ensure the curriculum states what must be taught each year in reading, writing, maths and science to every year group through to Year 8, ensuring consistency and accuracy. National will require standardised, robust assessment of student progress in reading, writing and maths at least twice-a-year every year from Year 3 to Year 8, with clear reporting to parents.

We'll ensure teachers and teacher trainees spend more time learning how to teach the basics and provide them with more classroom tools and lesson plans to help them teach reading, writing, maths and science. National will set a target of 80 per cent of Year 8 students being at or above the expected curriculum level for their age in reading, writing, maths and science by 2030.

Further, we'll aim to return NZ students to the top 10 in the world in maths, reading and science, measured by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development's Programme for International Student Assessment rankings, by 2033.

I'm proud to be part of a team that will lift our education standards and student achievement and give this generation of NZ children the opportunity to thrive and prosper in all that they do.