ERO Report: Evaluation at a Glance: Priority Learners in New Zealand Schools

This report is the second in the Education Review Office's Evaluation at a Glance series. It is a synthesis of material from 15 national evaluations and reports of good practice published in the last four years that, taken together, reveal three key issues facing New Zealand’s education system.

Priority learners are groups of students who have been identified as historically not experiencing success in the New Zealand schooling system. These include many Māori and Pacific learners, those from low socio-economic backgrounds, and students with special education needs.

Their “success in education is essential to the Government’s goal of building a productive and competitive economy...[and helping them develop] the skills needed to reach their full potential and contribute to the economy and society”.^[1]

National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) data indicates a worrying gap between the achievement of Māori and Pacific learners, and New Zealand European learners.^[2] In 2011, 77 percent of Year 11 Māori students, and 79 percent of Year 11 Pacific students achieved Level One NCEA Literacy requirements, compared to 91 percent of New Zealand European students. A similar picture is painted for the Level One NCEA Numeracy requirements, with Māori and Pacific students’ achievement in 2011 at 81 and 84 percent respectively, compared to 93 percent for New Zealand European.^[3]

The compilation of this 2012 Evaluation at a Glance publication involved analysis of 15 national evaluation reports. National evaluation reports make use of information gathered through regular education reviews of schools or early childhood services, or by specialist review teams. They are designed to present a perspective on what is happening nationally with identified aspects of educational practice that are of particular interest to ERO, the Ministry of Education and other education agencies.

For the fully documented findings, refer to the report, available on the ERO website or download the report below..