• Intermediate and secondary school students will have access to two million free tutoring sessions to help lift maths and literacy achievement
• A maths and literacy training fund for all primary and intermediate teachers
• More funding to help young people get back to school, into training or work

Labour will improve maths and literacy outcomes by funding two million hours of catch-up learning for young people and provide extra training for all primary and intermediate teachers, Labour Leader Chris Hipkins has announced.

The Labour Party manifesto has been released today, documenting all of the party’s policies released to date – including the 10-point cost of living plan to help Kiwis bring costs down.

“We know getting kids to school can be expensive, that’s why we’ve made public transport free for under 13s and half price for under 25 as well as continuing the free and healthy school lunches programmes that serves over a million meals a week, and saves parents on average $33 a week, per child,” Chris Hipkins said.

“It is also why we’re providing 20 hours ECE free for two-year-olds from next year, which will save a family an estimated $133 a week.

“Taking GST off fruit and vegetables, making prescriptions free and boosting Working for Families by $25 a week all takes pressure off the family budget.

“Combine that with increasing the minimum wage, introducing paid partner’s leave and free basic dental care for under 30s – and many more Kiwis are a lot better off under a Labour Government,” Chris Hipkins said.

Labour’s manifesto includes over $100 million in additional funding for education, to help support students and teachers with maths and literacy, and better support disengaged youth with pathways back into school or employment.

“Labour will build on our free tutoring programme by adding two million more hours to ensure young people in years 7 – 13 have the foundations for success in maths and literacy,” Labour Education Spokesperson Jan Tinetti said.

“Learning has been disrupted over the past three years so it’s important we provide extra catch up support to students who need it. Equally, we want to make sure that what’s being taught in maths and literacy is consistent – and so we’ll fund training for teachers in those subjects as well.

“The Government has already announced it will legislate core requirements for teaching maths and literacy. Today we are announcing a maths and literacy training fund to ensure all teachers get the necessary training and guidance; and so we can lift the overall quality of maths and literacy teaching.

“Finally, we will put a further $43 million into education and training pathways for young people who have dropped out or been expelled from school. These are some of our hardest-to-reach kids – but Labour won’t write them off.

“This further funding will mean we can do more, on top of the work already underway through the Attendance Service and with our new attendance officers, to get the right services around them and use every lever we’ve got to get them back to school, into training or work.

“Labour can be trusted to continue to fund education and ensure every child gets every opportunity to succeed,” Jan Tinetti said.

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