The Government says a new portal will give parents more access to their children's education. Photo / Kerkez

How is your child going at school? Govt releases tool for parents to track learning

Author: Adam Pearse,
Publish Date: Sun, 4 May 2025, 2:12pm

A new online tool launched by the Government is set to give parents greater access to what their children learn at school.

Education Minister Erica Stanford today introduced the “Parent Portal”, designed to provide “a clear, easy-to-understand year-by-year guide” to what children were learning in English and maths, with other subjects being added as the Government’s curriculum refresh continued.

The online tool would also contain resources to support learning at home, information about what to expect when their child started school – including phonics checks at 20 and 40 weeks, structured literacy guidance and tips for parent-teacher interviews.

Stanford, speaking from Wellington’s Silverstream School, promised more resources would be added to the portal in time, claiming it would become a “rich library of information and resources to help raise achievement and close the equity gap”.

“This is about giving parents clarity, confidence, and practical tools to support their child’s learning journey,” she said.

“Parents are a crucial part of their child’s education journey. Available on any device, the portal is about restoring their place at the heart of learning and giving them the confidence to make a real difference.”

Education Minister Erica Stanford believes the portal will benefit parents. Photo / Mark Mitchell

On Monday, Stanford unveiled the Government’s first pre-Budget announcement, confirming $53 million of funding would go towards paying teacher registrations and practising certificates fees through to 2028.

From July 1, teachers would save up to $550 when applying for registration or renewing their practising certificate.

The initiative would benefit about 40,000 fulltime and part-time school and early learning teachers in the first year of funding, and approximately 115,000 over three years.

Adam Pearse is the Deputy Political Editor and part of the NZ Herald’s Press Gallery team based at Parliament in Wellington. He has worked for NZME since 2018, reporting for the Northern Advocate in Whangārei and the Herald in Auckland.