The government is expanding literacy and maths intervention support for students, Education Minister Erica Stanford says.
Two hundred more schools will have access to a trained structured literacy teacher to accelerate achievement for Years 0-2 students who need further support, she said.
Addressing media this afternoon, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said education was one of the big things his government was focussing on this year.
"Getting kids to school was our focus this year but once they are here, we need to do a much better job of teaching them the basics, brilliantly," Luxon said.
"We're putting so much emphasis back onto structured literacy, which is teaching our kids one way, same way, every day to read.
"If we want to be able to be leaders in artificial intelligence, and AgriScience and to have the engineers we need to build four-lane freeways up to the north, we need to make sure we're teaching this generation of kids the basics.
"There is nothing more important to New Zealand's future than education."
Earlier this year the government reprioritised $33 million from Reading Recovery and Early Literacy Support, benefiting 770 schools, and $5 million more reprioritised to meet the need.
"It's critical children who need support with reading are identified early and can be supported to get back on track, Stanford said.
"We are relentlessly focused on giving more Kiwi kids confidence at school so they can achieve their potential. Due to high demand, we're expanding literacy and maths intervention support so more students who need help, get it," she said.
"We're extraordinarily proud."
The government was also expanding a targeted maths acceleration trial for Year 7 and 8 students who are struggling with maths.
"With significant interest from schools wanting to take part, 1000 more students will now benefit from the intensive 12-week programme to bring them up to the required curriculum level in maths. This will mean 3000 children will now take part in small group tutoring and supervised online tuition for 30 minutes, up to four times a week in Term 1 and 2 next year.
"We are committed to getting 80 per ent of Year 8 students at or above the expected curriculum level in reading, writing and maths by 2030."
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