Alwyn Poole
Began teaching in 1991. TBC, HBHS, St Cuths. Founded/led Mt Hobson MS–18 years. Co-founded SAMS and MSWA. Econs degree, Masters in Edn, tchg dip, post grad dip – sport.
The Good
1. There has been a positive and statistically significant improvement in full school attendance for term two 2026 compared to the previous 10 years.
2. I was asked about Erica Standford’s engagement with schools. I therefore took the time to go through her minister of education diary for the last three years. I found that she has directly visited approximately 60 schools. Given that she is also minister of immigration, I would think that this is a very good level of engagement. A case can be made that there is a low level of visits to highly challenged schools, but the diary contains no information about where she has actually been invited to.
The Bad and the Ugly
3. In a couple of weeks I will receive the raw leavers data for every high school in NZ. I have done this process every year for the last eight years and it has become an important indicator on the state of the system and is purchased by many schools and education interested parties.
The 2024 leavers data showed 15.9 per cent of NZ students leaving school with no qualifications. My educated guess on a range of data through the last seven months is that the 2025 data will show approximately 18.5 per cent of students leaving with no qualifications and stocking up the NEETS cupboard.
It does not look good for 2026 leavers, either, with a five per cent increase in students failing the numeracy requirement to get any level of NCEA. Specific examples:
“Māori students’ rates were 49 per cent reading, 46 per cent writing, and 36 per cent numeracy.”
“Pacific students’ pass rates were 41 per cent reading, 43 per cent writing, and 27 per cent numeracy.”
A student cannot get NCEA level one (i.e., even the lowest qualification) – without passing all three co-requisites and getting 60 more subject credits.
While the minister/ministry have been focussed on curriculum and qualifications changes, they have been negligent to the students still doing NCEA – which lasts up until 2030. This will have significant run ons to welfare dependency, lower tax take, etc.
4. All research makes it clear that socioeconomics impacts education – and vice-versa.
The government’s Ministry of Social Development reports:
“[A] growing number of children in material hardship, reaching 13 per cent between 2023 and 2024, up from 11 per cent three years prior.
Children’s Commissioner Dr Claire Achmad said the government was failing to protect the rights of the 170,000 children living in poverty right now, up by 47,500 in 2022.”
Is this where NZ, in 2026, should be?
This article was originally published by Education – the Absolute Best Ways.
