Barry Soper: Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent on the latest education numbers - Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

Erica Stanford believes mandated structured literacy is turning reading and writing skills around.

The Education Minister's revealed new data showing 58 percent of students are at or above phonics expectations after 20 weeks at school - up from 36 percent in Term One.

The number exceeding expectations is more than double Term One's figure.

Newstalk ZB senior political correspondent Barry Soper says this data shows the Government's education plan is working.

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