Luxon: Our education reforms are seeing results

• By Christopher Luxon, Prime Minister and MP for Botany

National has put ambition and achievement back at the heart of our education system so Kiwi kids are set up for success.

Our relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly is delivering results. Education is a core priority for this Government, and our reforms are delivering transformational results for students.

Since term one, all primary schools have been using structured literacy approaches and the new English curriculum, with phonics checks for new entrants at 20 weeks.

More children are becoming confident readers, with fewer needing extra support.

Nationally, 58 per cent of new entrants are meeting or exceeding expectations, up from 36 per cent, while those exceeding expectations have more than doubled.

The latest research from the Education Review Office (ERO) found that half of primary school teachers report students’ English and maths are improving, and more than three-quarters of parents report progress in their child’s learning in these subjects.

We’ve banned phones in classrooms, introduced an hour of reading, writing, and maths each day, and boosted learning support for those who need it, and it’s making a difference.

More Kiwi students will soon be learning in warm, safe, dry classrooms, with 82 new classrooms being built across New Zealand and a new school.

This comes on top of the $712 million we announced in Budget 2025 and a total of $713m we announced last month for upgrades and maintenance for school property.

This investment will create jobs for local construction firms, contractors, tradespeople, and suppliers, boosting local economies.

National has halved the cost of building a new classroom to $620,000, down from $1.2m under Labour. Our focus on efficiency and value for money means more students benefit.

This is part of our plan to lift achievement and ensure every Kiwi kid has the opportunity to reach their full potential.