Robyn Brown: Upper Hutt Principals' Association President on Government putting 100 million dollars into primary and intermediate maths in this year's budget

The Government's putting $100 million into primary and intermediate maths in this year's Budget.

It will be used for maths checks in the first two years of school, to identify the students struggling with the subject. 

About $40 million will go towards tutoring at intermediate level.

Upper Hutt Principals' Association President Robyn Brown told Ryan Bridge there's many children with diverse needs in our schools.

She says children are going to be accessing additional support for numeracy and literacy, when they need more support for their learning needs.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Here are the numbers on maths from Erica stand for
one hundred million dollars over four years. That's twenty five
million dollars a year. This is going to come out
in the budget. Well it's a pre budget announcement. Really,
every kid will now get a new Math's ability check
in the first two years of their schooling life, one
hundred and forty three new maths intervention teachers, and forty
million dollars for tutoring. Robin Brown, Upperhart Principals Association with me, Robin, good.

Speaker 2 (00:22):
Morning, Good morning, how are you going.

Speaker 1 (00:25):
I'm good? Thank you. This all sounds like it's got
to be a good thing.

Speaker 2 (00:30):
It's always been when we're investing in education, so absolutely,
we're always we value that. But unfortunately our problem doesn't
sit in maths. We are desperate for learning support. If
we want to improve achievement, we need to put every
cent we have into learning support rather than ring fencing

(00:51):
it just for maths. We know that that's not going
to make a huge difference. At the moment. We have
an adequate PLD or professor development for teachers on a
curriculum that they've only had two terms to teach so far.
It's not being implemented with fability. We have no way
of even assessing it yet. For us in New Zealand,

(01:14):
we need New Zealand based resources led by New Zealand
based educators for teachers.

Speaker 1 (01:20):
What's do we not have New Zealand based educators?

Speaker 2 (01:23):
Are you?

Speaker 1 (01:24):
Are you saying you don't want us to bring in
teachers from overseas to fill these maths jobs?

Speaker 2 (01:28):
Well, that said, we're going to walk one hundred and
forty three maths jobs.

Speaker 1 (01:32):
What's wrong to get people from What's wrong with teachers
and materials from overseas for maths?

Speaker 2 (01:39):
It's not designed for New Zealand. Children in New Zealand different.

Speaker 1 (01:43):
What's different about a New Zealander learning to count than
an Australian or an American.

Speaker 2 (01:49):
What's different is the way in which children learn. The
language that we're using for those children is not always English.
Are today our children need to be taught today and
the resources are being translated.

Speaker 1 (02:00):
Separate resources. They've got separate resources that will be translated for.

Speaker 2 (02:04):
Cur Translation doesn't mean that it's actually designed for the children.

Speaker 1 (02:08):
But Robin, you're not going to sit here this morning
surely and protest more money going into maths resources on
the basis that there might be a translation of some tests.

Speaker 2 (02:19):
I'm not protesting more money going into math resources. I'm
protesting money going into math resources when we have an
extraordinary large need for learning support. We needed to go
into learning support. We need additional support in classrooms for teachers.
When we have children where behavior is an issue, where
diverse needs a neurodiversity in our schools. We've got children

(02:43):
that are going to be accessing additional tier two support
for literacy. It's additional tear to support for nu mecy
when they actually need additional support for their learning needs.

Speaker 1 (02:56):
So what you're saying is basically, the kids are coming
in too frazzled to you know, they've either got neglect
issues or behavior issues. They're not even ready to learn
that step one. That's what you're saying. Yes, okay, all right,
I appreciate your time. Robin. Robin Brown, who's the Upper
Heart Principals Association with us this morning. For more from

(03:19):
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