Introduction from the Secretary for Education#

E ngā iwi, e ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā rau rangatira mā,
tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou katoa.
He mihi nui ki tēnā, ki tēnā, e ako ana, e mahi ana,
e tautoko ana i nga wahi mātauranga katoa puta noa i te motu.

The purpose of the Ministry of Education is to shape an education system that delivers equitable and excellent outcomes. Since stepping into the role of Secretary for Education, I have been reflecting on what excellence and equity looks like for us here in New Zealand.

Excellence and equity go hand in hand. Achieving excellence is the goal that every education system should strive for – educational success supports personal, social and cultural wellbeing, and national prosperity. While excellence will not be the same for everyone, every learner deserves to be supported to achieve their very best.

Yet we cannot achieve excellence for all learners without addressing the issues that drive inequity. Our education system is characterised by persistent disparities in outcomes for groups of our students, including Māori, Pacific, disabled and those from low socio-economic circumstances. A focus on equity is essential to recognising and responding to the diverse needs of our learners, so that each receives the support they need to succeed and thrive.

The pursuit of equitable and excellent outcomes for all learners is what drives our work and how we approach the Government’s priorities for education. The Government has set ambitious targets to improve student achievement and attendance, and has signalled the importance of delivering effective and targeted learning support to help achieve these. Alongside this sits a focus on supporting and developing our education workforce, and on using data and insights to measure the impact of our work and make evidence-based decisions.

In support of the Achievement target, we’re making solid progress with our shift towards a well-sequenced, knowledge-rich curriculum, improved approach to literacy and numeracy, and smarter assessment and reporting. To support this work, we’ve delivered professional development to teachers, and provided hundreds of thousands of mathematics and pāngarau resources to classrooms across the country over the past 12 months.

Regular attendance at school or kura is the first step in accessing the essential skills that children need to succeed in schooling and their everyday lives. Research shows that regular attendance leads to educational success and better employment and social outcomes. However, like many other countries, New Zealand’s school attendance rates have been declining for over a decade – a trend exacerbated by COVID-19.

The attendance target has sharpened our focus, and as we roll out a suite of connected, data-driven initiatives, we’re starting to see some signs of improvement in attendance rates. We now receive daily attendance data from schools so that we can understand and interrogate what’s happening in real-time, enabling us to have richer conversations with schools and better target support to where it’s needed the most. The daily attendance data we receive is also published online every school day, providing a national and regional picture, and helping raise public awareness of the importance of school attendance.

Our work this year has spanned many other important areas. A Functional Chief Executive for School Property has been established and appointed to lead ongoing improvements to infrastructure delivery. We’ve supported the Government’s response to the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry, the ongoing work to strengthen the tertiary system and work-based learning, and the regulatory review of early childhood education. We worked at pace to develop and deliver a new model for Ka Ora, Ka Ako | Healthy School Lunches – after a challenging start, it is cost-effectively and reliably delivering 98% of lunches on time every day.

We continue to look for ways to operate efficiently and effectively – not just because we’re in a tight fiscal environment, but also because it’s the right thing to do as a public service. We are focused on building trust and confidence in our work.

As we look ahead, I am mindful that our world is constantly changing. We will continue to challenge ourselves to be outward-focused and responsive to changing needs and circumstances. We are committed to building on the progress we’re making to improve outcomes for every learner.