Richard Prebble
Columnist, former cabinet minister and ACT Party leader.
For family reasons, my wife and I are raising our 11-year-old grandson.
He has been a pupil under both Chris Hipkins and Erica Stanford.
Under Hipkins, I became so concerned about his maths that I bought an online programme and taught him myself.
Today he is doing much more maths at school.
He is now doing maths a year ahead of his age.
I have been able to retire as his maths coach. He is having guitar lessons instead.
I was shocked to hear Hipkins say in the leaders’ debate that Labour will abandon the compulsory daily hour of maths and leave the decision to teachers.
I have seen what can happen.
One of my daughters at intermediate school level had a teacher who did not like maths. So she did not teach it.
When my daughter reached secondary school, we discovered she was two years behind.
I paid for coaching. She caught up.
Her classmates did not.
One teacher’s decision not to teach maths damaged the future of many pupils.
Under Hipkins, New Zealand recorded a big fall in maths achievement in the 2022 PISA results.
I know what happens when children are not guaranteed time to learn maths.
I have seen it twice in my own family.
This article was originally published by I’ve Been Thinking.
