The National-led Government is working hard to make sure all New Zealand children get the quality education they deserve.

Currently too many of our children are slipping through the cracks and missing out on the brighter future they deserve. One in five of our children are leaving school without the literacy and numeracy skills they need to succeed.

Before the election, National promised to address this shocking statistic. This year, we’re delivering on our promise with the introduction of National Standards to primary and intermediate schools around the country.

National Standards are simply signposts which describe what Year 1 to 8 children should be able to achieve and by when.

Teachers will assess, monitor and report on each child’s progress against the Standards.

Schools will report to parents and families twice a year in plain English. Each Plunket-style report card will show a child’s goals, progress, and achievement in relation to the Standards. For the first time, parents will be getting the accurate information about their child that they deserve.

We’re investing $26 million to train and support teachers as they implement National Standards, and $36 million to help students identified as needing extra help.

A report from the Education Review Office at the end of 2009 showed that almost two-thirds of schools do not monitor children’s performance well, and that three-quarters of principals don’t set expectations of high achievement levels. This shows the urgent need for action.

Teachers will use a range of existing assessment tools, as well as their professional judgment, to measure students against National Standards. Many schools already use assessment information to raise student achievement, but we need to get the basics right. We need to find out which children need help, and how much help they need.

National Standards are about lifting the performance of every child, and making sure that parents and families can understand the progress of their child.

The future of our children is at stake. If you can’t read and write, you can’t participate in the modern economy.

This is an exciting year for education. National Standards is a groundbreaking policy, and a critical part of this Government’s plan to secure a brighter future for all New Zealanders.

If you have questions about National Standards, please don’t hesitate to call me.

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