9(2)(a)
From:
9(2)(a)
Sent:
Thursday, 27 November 2025 3:25 PM
To:
Hon Erica Stanford
Subject:
Thanks
Hi Erica
9(2)(a)
The
frenzied response is a political witch hunt fueled by the unions and NZSBA and it has a mob mentality
about it.
I am ashamed of NZSBA for their stance as they breach the code of conduct for boards which is to be
politically neutral. 9(2)(a)
This whole thing has a school yard bully boy feel about it and I will not be bullied.
Do not bend please Erica. You are making a difference and I would say most people are behind you. I
would suggest that a lot of boards have been pressured into making a public response.
You are doing a wonderful job and I am praying for you and your family.
Thanks
9(2)(a)
9(2)(a)
9(2)(a)
From:
9(2)(a)
Sent:
Tuesday, 18 November 2025 3:07 PM
To:
Erica Stanford (MIN)
Subject:
Re: Update on recent and upcoming legislative changes - School boards, Initial
Teacher Education, Teaching Council
Erica
Good on you. I've been a Principal for years and you are the first Minister of Education that has
managed to cut through the crap and actually start to deal with the issues that are holding us back.
The refocus on what actually matters i.e. attendance and academic achievement is a welcome and
much needed change. Keep up the awesome work. Know that you have plenty of support and
don't be put off by a noisey few that think they speak for others when they do not. Stay strong!!
Kind regards
9(2)(a)
On Tue, 18 Nov 2025 at 14:58, Erica Stanford (MIN) <[email address]> wrote:
Kia ora koutou,
As we near the end of the year, I want to provide you with an update on recent and upcoming
legislative changes we are making to strengthen our education system. Feel free to share this
email with your wider staff.
My decision making about re-focusing school boards on raising student achievement.
Legislation (Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Bill) to be introduced
later today to strengthen the system-level settings of our education system.
Thank you for your ongoing leadership and for the honest conversations many of you have had
with me about what’s important to you and your teams. I look forward to providing you further
updates before the end of the year.
Ngā mihi nui,
Erica Stanford
Minister of Education
1. School board priorities
The Government’s number one priority is educational achievement. Every initiative, policy, and
investment is a part of a coordinated approach to raise student achievement and close the equity
gap. We have now made educational achievement the paramount objective for all school boards.
We have also introduced changes to ensure that a clear focus on improving school attendance
and using quality assessment data to drive decision-making for school boards.
The Education and Training Act contains overarching treaty clauses in Section 4 and Section 32
of the Act. These remain in effect and detail the relationship between the Crown and iwi Māori
relating to the Treaty.
Currently, school boards are delegated a legal duty to “give effect” to the Treaty of Waitangi. The
Government does not believe that school boards, made up largely of elected parents, should be
responsible for legally giving effect to the Treaty. We have moved to remove the legal duty for
this responsibility and replaced it with clear actions that school boards do have a legal
responsibility for executing.
These include that the board:
1. Seek to achieve equitable outcomes for Māori students
2. Take all reasonable steps to provide for students to be taught, and to learn, in te reo
Māori on request of their parents or immediate caregivers
3. Take reasonable steps to ensure that the policies and practices for the school reflect New
Zealand’s cultural diversity.
School boards, made up of your parents and community reps, play a vital role in reflecting the
unique social and cultural values of their communities. These changes allow for you to continue
to make decisions appropriate to your school.
In summary, following wider review, the Government has clarified that it is not reasonable to
expect parents and volunteers to carry the Crown’s constitutional duties. As a result, we have
removed the explicit general Treaty obligation from school boards, allowing them to focus on
delivering better educational outcomes for all students, while the Crown remains accountable for
its Treaty commitments.
As Minister, I am committed to lifting educational achievement for every student in our education
system. I also strongly believe it is the Crown’s responsibility to meet its Treaty obligations by
supporting Māori educational success. We’re raising Māori achievement which is a core tenet of
our treaty obligation.
We’re already seeing results in early reading achievement across the board, including for
tamariki Māori. Following the introduction of a phonics check to see how our new entrants were
tracking with early reading, tamariki Māori meeting expectations in the 20-week phonics check
rose from 25 percent in Term 1 to 43 percent by Term 3, while the number needing additional
reading support fell from 62 percent to 47 percent. This is the first time in two decades that we
have seen a lift in Māori early reading achievement.
Together, with the way your teachers choose to bring the curriculum to life, schools retain the
flexibility to teach in a way that meets the needs of the community and raises achievement.
The Ministry of Education will be working with the New Zealand School Boards Association to
provide updated guidance for strategic planning, and this will be available soon.
2. Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Bill
Our work programme is well underway, establishing a knowledge-rich curriculum, lifting
attendance, enhancing teacher training, strengthening learning support, and improving school
property delivery. Today we are introducing legislation to ensure that system-level settings are
aligned to effectively deliver these priorities.
The key parts are:
Enhance teaching workforce regulation and strengthen the administration of the
Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand.
For years, principals, teachers, ERO, and more recently the TALIS report have raised concerns
about the quality and consistency of initial teacher education (ITE), in particular graduates’
readiness in curriculum knowledge and evidence-based practice. At the same time, the Ministry
and the Minister of Education have had limited levers to influence the quality of ITE programmes
or drive improvements where they are needed.
I’ve listened to the sector on ITE standards, it’s one of my six priority areas to prepare teachers
for the workforce. This Bill responds to that.
Under the reforms, the function of setting standards for ITE programmes and for teacher
registration will move from the Teaching Council to a new standard-setting function within the
Ministry of Education. This reflects good regulatory practice by separating the role of setting
standards from the role of accrediting and monitoring providers.
We are also placing the teacher registration standards within this Ministry-based function
because of their critical role in driving quality in ITE. When registration standards are clear,
rigorous, and aligned with what we expect new graduates to do, universities and ITE providers
must design their programmes to ensure graduates can meet those expectations. In this way, the
registration standards are an essential lever for strengthening the quality and consistency of
initial teacher education.
The Ministry’s standard-setting function will be professionally grounded and will continue to
consult fully with the sector, including principals, as standards are developed or updated.
Your expectations and experience will remain central to shaping what high-quality teacher
preparation looks like.
At the same time, we are strengthening the Teaching Council. The Bill gives the Council new
legislative powers to accredit and properly monitor ITE providers, ensuring they meet the
standards set by the Ministry. The Council will have stronger regulatory tools to ensure providers
deliver programmes that genuinely prepare new teachers for the classroom.
This is a balanced package focused on improving outcomes:
• A clear, Ministry-based standard-setting function for both ITE and teacher registration
standards.
• A strengthened Teaching Council with greater powers to hold providers to account and drive for
consistent high-quality ITE
• And, for the first time, real levers to make meaningful improvements to initial teacher education.
I want to stress that I do have confidence in the Teaching Council. However, its current board
structure is large and a reliance on elected representation means that it does not always have
the governance, financial or risk expertise needed for such a significant regulatory role. The
changes in the Bill will move to a smaller, skills-based board with sector representation, ensuring
the Council is set up for success in its strengthened responsibilities.
Ultimately, these reforms aim to ensure every new teacher entering your school is better
prepared. I have listened closely to principals who have told me over many years that the current
ITE system is not meeting your needs. This Bill responds directly to those concerns.
Require schools to participate in the OECD’s Programme for International Student
Assessment (PISA), to help inform investment and focus to ensure best possible
outcomes for students.
International studies, like PISA, give us valuable insights into how the performance of our
education system is tracking. Currently, PISA and other external monitoring surveys are a few of
the only longitudinal measures of how our education system performs over time. These
measures are important insights into national trends and are not about how we rank against other
countries. These surveys give us valuable insights into where we need to prioritise focus, and
where we need to invest to ensure we get the best possible outcomes for students.
Currently, the assessments are opt in, which creates challenges with achieving the required
sample sizes, and ensuring the data is robust and representative. In making these assessments
mandatory, it means if your school is selected, you’ll be required to participate. This will help with
ensuring that the participation load is more evenly shared among all schools and we get a truer
picture of the state of the education system.
Other elements include:
Strengthening school curriculum settings by allowing for curriculum areas to be updated in
a regular cycle of review in order to stop large disruptive overhauls. This has long been
the case in high-performing jurisdictions. Where a rolling cycle of review, one learning
area at a time, allows for properly phased ongoing improvements to curriculum content
whilst also providing a more stable foundation for teaching and learning right across our
education system. Additionally, the proposal combines separate curriculum statements
about ‘what is to be learnt’ and ‘how it is to be learnt’ into one type of curriculum
statement, making the requirements clearer for schools. The proposal also provides
flexibility for different curriculum expectations for different groups of schools, such as
those with bilingual immersion units.
Implementing ERO’s recommendation to replace the requirement for community
consultation with a requirement for schools to inform parents and whānau about the RSE
content and how it will be taught. RSE content will now be clearly outlined in detail in the
curriculum available on the Parent Portal for families to view and make decisions on, with
regard to the child’s participation.
Establish the New Zealand School Property Agency as a new Crown agent with a primary
focus on maintaining and building school property.
Transfer regulatory functions for private schools and school boarding hostels from the
Ministry to the Education Review Office (ERO).
Allow NZQA to recognise and record micro-credentials, ensuring completeness of students’
Record of Achievement.
Strengthen the system’s response when ERO identifies a school of ‘serious concern.’
Update school attendance exemption processes to improve clarity and compliance.
Make improvements to the charter school model to support school choice and innovation.
This legislation will be progressed in 2026 and as per normal process, will allow for public
submissions through a select committee process.
--
9(2)(a)
Principal/Tumuaki
9(2)(a)
9(2)(a)
From:
9(2)(a)
Sent:
Tuesday, 18 November 2025 5:16 PM
To:
Erica Stanford (MIN)
Subject:
RE: Update on recent and upcoming legislative changes - School boards, Initial
Teacher Education, Teaching Council
Dear Minister,
I don’t know who receives these emails, but I wanted to say that I appreciate all that you are doing, and the heart
that it comes from. I believe that these changes are necessary – actually past due. In my experience, the educa on
sector has become indoctrinated, and can’t see out of the group-think they have been sucked into over the last
decade, maybe longer. 9(2)(a)
I didn’t realise how indoctrinated I had
become un l I was out of it and free to think for myself again.
I am really saddened by the headlines that are being gobbled up by the sector, and not the detail being read. It
means that people are ge ng the wrong message.
Please be encouraged and I will pray that common sense will prevail, long before your own spirit is weary.
Blessings.
Ngā manaakitanga.
9(2)(a)
9(2)(a)
Principal
9(2)(a)
From: Erica Stanford (MIN) <[email address]>
Sent: Tuesday, 18 November 2025 2:58 pm
To: Erica Stanford (MIN) <[email address]>
Subject: Update on recent and upcoming legislative changes - School boards, Initial Teacher Education, Teaching
Council
Kia ora koutou,
As we near the end of the year, I want to provide you with an update on recent and upcoming
legislative changes we are making to strengthen our education system. Feel free to share this
email with your wider staff.
My decision making about re-focusing school boards on raising student achievement.
Legislation (Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Bill) to be introduced
later today to strengthen the system-level settings of our education system.
Thank you for your ongoing leadership and for the honest conversations many of you have had
with me about what’s important to you and your teams. I look forward to providing you further
updates before the end of the year.
Ngā mihi nui,
Erica Stanford
Minister of Education
1. School board priorities
The Government’s number one priority is educational achievement. Every initiative, policy, and
investment is a part of a coordinated approach to raise student achievement and close the equity
gap. We have now made educational achievement the paramount objective for all school boards.
We have also introduced changes to ensure that a clear focus on improving school attendance
and using quality assessment data to drive decision-making for school boards.
The Education and Training Act contains overarching treaty clauses in Section 4 and Section 32
of the Act. These remain in effect and detail the relationship between the Crown and iwi Māori
relating to the Treaty.
Currently, school boards are delegated a legal duty to “give effect” to the Treaty of Waitangi. The
Government does not believe that school boards, made up largely of elected parents, should be
responsible for legally giving effect to the Treaty. We have moved to remove the legal duty for this
responsibility and replaced it with clear actions that school boards do have a legal responsibility
for executing.
These include that the board:
1. Seek to achieve equitable outcomes for Māori students
2. Take all reasonable steps to provide for students to be taught, and to learn, in te reo Māori
on request of their parents or immediate caregivers
3. Take reasonable steps to ensure that the policies and practices for the school reflect New
Zealand’s cultural diversity.
School boards, made up of your parents and community reps, play a vital role in reflecting the
unique social and cultural values of their communities. These changes allow for you to continue to
make decisions appropriate to your school.
In summary, following wider review, the Government has clarified that it is not reasonable to
expect parents and volunteers to carry the Crown’s constitutional duties. As a result, we have
removed the explicit general Treaty obligation from school boards, allowing them to focus on
delivering better educational outcomes for all students, while the Crown remains accountable for
its Treaty commitments.
As Minister, I am committed to lifting educational achievement for every student in our education
system. I also strongly believe it is the Crown’s responsibility to meet its Treaty obligations by
supporting Māori educational success. We’re raising Māori achievement which is a core tenet of
our treaty obligation.
We’re already seeing results in early reading achievement across the board, including for tamariki
Māori. Following the introduction of a phonics check to see how our new entrants were tracking
with early reading, tamariki Māori meeting expectations in the 20-week phonics check rose from
25 percent in Term 1 to 43 percent by Term 3, while the number needing additional reading
support fell from 62 percent to 47 percent. This is the first time in two decades that we have seen
a lift in Māori early reading achievement.
Together, with the way your teachers choose to bring the curriculum to life, schools retain the
flexibility to teach in a way that meets the needs of the community and raises achievement.
The Ministry of Education will be working with the New Zealand School Boards Association to
provide updated guidance for strategic planning, and this will be available soon.
2. Education and Training (System Reform) Amendment Bill
Our work programme is well underway, establishing a knowledge-rich curriculum, lifting
attendance, enhancing teacher training, strengthening learning support, and improving school
property delivery. Today we are introducing legislation to ensure that system-level settings are
aligned to effectively deliver these priorities.
The key parts are:
Enhance teaching workforce regulation and strengthen the administration of the
Teaching Council of Aotearoa New Zealand.
For years, principals, teachers, ERO, and more recently the TALIS report have raised concerns
about the quality and consistency of initial teacher education (ITE), in particular graduates’
readiness in curriculum knowledge and evidence-based practice. At the same time, the Ministry
and the Minister of Education have had limited levers to influence the quality of ITE programmes
or drive improvements where they are needed.
I’ve listened to the sector on ITE standards, it’s one of my six priority areas to prepare teachers for
the workforce. This Bill responds to that.
Under the reforms, the function of setting standards for ITE programmes and for teacher
registration will move from the Teaching Council to a new standard-setting function within the
Ministry of Education. This reflects good regulatory practice by separating the role of setting
standards from the role of accrediting and monitoring providers.
We are also placing the teacher registration standards within this Ministry-based function because
of their critical role in driving quality in ITE. When registration standards are clear, rigorous, and
aligned with what we expect new graduates to do, universities and ITE providers must design their
programmes to ensure graduates can meet those expectations. In this way, the registration
standards are an essential lever for strengthening the quality and consistency of initial teacher
education.
The Ministry’s standard-setting function will be professionally grounded and will continue to
consult fully with the sector, including principals, as standards are developed or updated.
Your expectations and experience will remain central to shaping what high-quality teacher
preparation looks like.
At the same time, we are strengthening the Teaching Council. The Bill gives the Council new
legislative powers to accredit and properly monitor ITE providers, ensuring they meet the
standards set by the Ministry. The Council will have stronger regulatory tools to ensure providers
deliver programmes that genuinely prepare new teachers for the classroom.
This is a balanced package focused on improving outcomes:
• A clear, Ministry-based standard-setting function for both ITE and teacher registration standards.
• A strengthened Teaching Council with greater powers to hold providers to account and drive for
consistent high-quality ITE
• And, for the first time, real levers to make meaningful improvements to initial teacher education.
I want to stress that I do have confidence in the Teaching Council. However, its current board
structure is large and a reliance on elected representation means that it does not always have the
governance, financial or risk expertise needed for such a significant regulatory role. The changes
in the Bill will move to a smaller, skills-based board with sector representation, ensuring the
Council is set up for success in its strengthened responsibilities.
Ultimately, these reforms aim to ensure every new teacher entering your school is better
prepared. I have listened closely to principals who have told me over many years that the current
ITE system is not meeting your needs. This Bill responds directly to those concerns.
Require schools to participate in the OECD’s Programme for International Student
Assessment (PISA), to help inform investment and focus to ensure best possible
outcomes for students.
International studies, like PISA, give us valuable insights into how the performance of our
education system is tracking. Currently, PISA and other external monitoring surveys are a few of
the only longitudinal measures of how our education system performs over time. These measures
are important insights into national trends and are not about how we rank against other countries.
These surveys give us valuable insights into where we need to prioritise focus, and where we
need to invest to ensure we get the best possible outcomes for students.
Currently, the assessments are opt in, which creates challenges with achieving the required
sample sizes, and ensuring the data is robust and representative. In making these assessments
mandatory, it means if your school is selected, you’ll be required to participate. This will help with
ensuring that the participation load is more evenly shared among all schools and we get a truer
picture of the state of the education system.
Other elements include:
Strengthening school curriculum settings by allowing for curriculum areas to be updated in
a regular cycle of review in order to stop large disruptive overhauls. This has long been the
case in high-performing jurisdictions. Where a rolling cycle of review, one learning area at a
time, allows for properly phased ongoing improvements to curriculum content whilst also
providing a more stable foundation for teaching and learning right across our education
system. Additionally, the proposal combines separate curriculum statements about ‘what is
to be learnt’ and ‘how it is to be learnt’ into one type of curriculum statement, making the
requirements clearer for schools. The proposal also provides flexibility for different
curriculum expectations for different groups of schools, such as those with bilingual
immersion units.
Implementing ERO’s recommendation to replace the requirement for community
consultation with a requirement for schools to inform parents and whānau about the RSE
content and how it will be taught. RSE content will now be clearly outlined in detail in the
curriculum available on the Parent Portal for families to view and make decisions on, with
regard to the child’s participation.
Establish the New Zealand School Property Agency as a new Crown agent with a primary
focus on maintaining and building school property.
Transfer regulatory functions for private schools and school boarding hostels from the
Ministry to the Education Review Office (ERO).
Allow NZQA to recognise and record micro-credentials, ensuring completeness of students’
Record of Achievement.
Strengthen the system’s response when ERO identifies a school of ‘serious concern.’
Update school attendance exemption processes to improve clarity and compliance.
Make improvements to the charter school model to support school choice and innovation.
This legislation will be progressed in 2026 and as per normal process, will allow for public
submissions through a select committee process.
