Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Education Minister Erica Stanford are visiting an Auckland primary school on the first day of term 1. 

The pair are at Browns Bay School on Auckland’s North Shore as the Government moves to implement new education policies for primary and intermediate schools to deliver at least an hour a day of maths, reading and writing starting from the beginning of the school year. 

Stanford earlier said National’s target was for at least 80 per cent of students to be at the standard expected in the school curriculum by the time they finished intermediate. 

Luxon also used his first school visit as Prime Minister last year to reiterate his intention to ban mobile phones during class time. 

Stanford announced the ban would apply from term two, by which point all schools would be required to have a cellphone policy in place. 

She said, while the policy officially took effect then, the expectation was that most schools would implement the policy from the start of the school year. 

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Education Minister Erica Stanford visit Manurewa Intermediate School last year. Photo / Jason Dorday 

Schools could decide for themselves how to apply the policy. 

“Options that have been successfully used in some schools include having students hand in their cellphones before class or leaving them in their lockers or bags for the day. Exemptions will be allowed for students with health conditions or in special learning circumstances,” Stanford said. 

While many schools were already offering the hour of maths, reading and writing, it needed to be applied consistently across schools, she said. 

An expert education panel is currently redesigning the English and maths curriculum for primary school students. 

Stanford said the review intended to build on the work that had already been done, rather than to start over. 

“The aim is to ensure teachers have the clarity and tools needed to teach these core subjects brilliantly. Work will be done in the first half of 2024, ready for implementation in 2025,” Stanford said. 

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon visits Browns Bay School. Photo / Dean Purcell 

Some schools will have longer to implement the hour-a-day policy, including kura kaupapa which have until term 3 - an extension given to allow for consultation. 

Specialist schools will have an extra year to implement it to ensure the model used is the best for their students. 

There was a strong focus on education in National’s 100-day plan which was announced in November, including a number of education initiatives including to begin disestablishing Te Pukenga, the polytech mega-merger. 

Rachel Maher is an Auckland-based reporter who covers breaking news. She has worked for the Herald since 2022.