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A MAJOR extension of literacy programmes that will benefit thousands of students in primary and secondary schools around New Zealand.
The secondary project involves an additional 30 secondary schools nation-wide, with more than 16,000 secondary students.
Teachers receive specialised literacy professional development, aimed at helping them lift the literacy standards of students. Last year 32 schools took part.
In the primary area, 133 primary/intermediate schools and their 1360 teachers will also take part in targeted professional development, aimed at lifting the literacy skills of some 35,000 students.
"Our literacy standards are on average already excellent - an OECD study published in 2002 showed that out of 32 countries, New Zealand's 15 year-olds had the third highest average score for reading literacy. But that same study showed the disparity between our highest achievers and lowest achievers is much wider than like countries, and is just unacceptable," the Minister of Education, Mr Trevor Mallard said.
"The professional development programmes we are introducing are designed to give teachers the best tools and skills possible to help students in the areas they need the most assistance.
"Our annual investment in literacy now totals $43 million. This government is making a concerted effort to lift literacy skills through a range of programmes. We have more professional development resources, advisers, and researchers working with schools than ever before," the Minister said.
The secondary schools project involves literacy advisers going into schools in the Auckland, Waikato, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago regions to assist teachers as they work with students to improve their literacy skills across all areas of the curriculum. Next year, the net will widen to regions not covered so far.
In July another 67 schools, and 630 teachers will join the programme. Next year another 200 schools and 2000 teachers will take part.
"Later in the year we will be extending the world leading literacy and numeracy test asTTle (Assessment Tools for Teaching and Learning) from years 5 - 7 to years 8-10 students. The asTTle tests help teachers and parents track the students' progress against national literacy and numeracy standards. Once problems are diagnosed, asTTle helps teachers target teaching to address weaknesses," Mr Mallard said.