Towards a knowledge-rich curriculum

• Dr Michael Johnston writes – 

   

In the opening months of 2024, I had the honour of chairing a Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) for Education Minister Erica Stanford.  Our remit included both the curriculum, which specifies what students should be taught, and the common practice model, which specifies methods of teaching.   

 

We were tasked with making recommendations for English and mathematics in the primary and intermediate school years. This focus was to ensure that deep problems in the teaching of early-years literacy and mathematics are addressed swiftly. As Minister Stanford is well aware, each year that passes without reform sees another cohort of young people sold short. Later we were asked also to consider the first two secondary years.

Contestable advice

• Eric Crampton writes – 

Danyl McLauchlan over at The Listener on the recent shift toward more contestability in public policy advice in education:

Besides tackling the cost-of-living crisis, the Luxon team can make quick gains in health and education

Incoming Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has left no doubt one of his top priorities is to fix the cost of living crisis. At  the  same time his government can restore public confidence in the effectiveness of  central government (undermined   by the erratic performance of recent ministers)  in the health and education sectors.

Luxon  has the person for the role of Health Minister in Dr Shane  Reti and even  vocal  critics  accept  that Reti understands what is needed in the health  sector. There is little point in turning back  what Labour started  in restructuring the health system.

Loan rules rile Sri Lankan law student, who regards them as racist – but why should Greg O’Connor apologise?

National MP Erica Stanford makes a good point, when she says new classrooms will sit empty if Labour keeps on  failing to get kids to school and learning the basics.

Only half of the country’s kids are attending school regularly, she says (with disturbing truancy data high in her considerations, presumably).

She has tweeted her comments in a follow-up to the government’s announcement of plans to spend $400 million on new schools and classrooms. And she boldly pledges:

“Rather than excuses and empty classrooms National will restore confidence in the education system by teaching the basics brilliantly”.

But in earlier tweets she drew attention to a demand for Labour MP Greg O’Connor to explain something he allegedly told a Sri Lankan resident student: