Education Minister Erica Stanford says the new parent portal will lead to more scenes like these. Image by Sofatutor on Unsplash.
<h2><span data-contrast="auto">On Sunday, Education Minister Erica Stanford announced the launch of a new education “Parent Portal”, aimed at keeping parents and whānau informed about their child’s education. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></h2>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The </span><a href="https://www.education.govt.nz/parents-and-caregivers/schools-year-0-13/understand-your-childs-learning" target="_blank"><span data-contrast="none">portal</span></a><span data-contrast="auto"> includes a breakdown of what children will learn in English and Maths at each year level, with the other learning areas to be added as the New Zealand curriculum refresh continues. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Whānau can find activities and resources to support learning at home, and information and videos about how parents can expect their child to progress through school. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><a href="https://www.schoolnews.co.nz/latest-print-issue/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><b>Read the latest print edition of <em>School News</em> online HERE.</b></a></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">There are also resources on structured literacy, and guidance on how to implement phonics approaches at home. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">During the announcement at Silverstream School in Wellington, Stanford called the website a “comprehensive and practical resource.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
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<p><span data-contrast="auto">“Until now, parents haven’t always had consistent access to this information – this new tool will change that.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
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<p><span data-contrast="auto">The website will expand in the future, with Stanford promising it will be a “rich library of information and resources to help raise achievement and close the equity gap.” </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Speaking on RNZ’s Morning Report, Stanford said that parents and principals had been asking her for a similar resource, saying the website will facilitate a “partnership with schools and parents to raise achievement.” </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">Stanford expects that parents will be able to use the portal to check for gaps in their child’s learning, or use resources to accelerate children where appropriate. She said it was important that school learning was supplemented at home. She also said principals “have already indicated that they love this tool” because they don’t have to do the work of explaining curriculum to parents themselves.</span><span data-ccp-props="{";134233117";:false,";134233118";:false,";201341983";:0,";335551550";:1,";335551620";:1,";335559685";:0,";335559737";:0,";335559738";:0,";335559739";:160,";335559740";:279}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“We’ll see our statistics change. When we see accelerated learning and kids hitting milestones they’re supposed to be hitting.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<h3><b><span data-contrast="auto">Mixed reactions from educators</span></b> <span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></h3>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">The education sector’s reaction to the new parent portal has been mixed. Vaughan Couillault, President of the Secondary Principals Association of New Zealand and Principal of Papatoetoe High School said that the website was a great initiative.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
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<p><span data-contrast="auto">“Any opportunity to involve parents and whānau in learning is a good opportunity because we know kids learn better when their families know what’s going on at school.&#8221;</span></p>
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<p><span data-contrast="auto">He admits that the website probably won’t add anything new, as active parents will already be involved in their child’s learning. However, he said the website will curate information and is a good resource for informing families about the curriculum refresh. </span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“It’s a good idea. [The portal] is not fully populated at the moment, [but] it’ll hopefully get better over time.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">But NZEI Te Riu Roa Te Manukura | President Ripeka Lessels says that the website won’t help to raise achievement.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
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<p><span data-contrast="auto">“No video or online resource will provide as much information to parents about their children as a conversation with their teacher.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
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<p><span data-contrast="auto">“Teachers can tell you about the progress of a child not only relative to national ‘norms’, but more importantly, in relation to their own learning.</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p><span data-contrast="auto">“To ensure all tamariki get the support they need to thrive at school, we need to see significant investment in learning support. It’s this that would make the biggest difference to teachers and parents and to children on their learning journey.”</span><span data-ccp-props="{}"> </span></p>
<p>PPTA Te Wehengarua President Chris Abercrombie agrees, calling the website a &#8220;distraction from the big conversations we should be having.</p>
<div data-olk-copy-source="MessageBody">&#8220;A parental portal is not what schools are asking for. If you asked any principal in the country what they needed to improve education, a website for parents wouldn’t make the list. This is not the priority.</div>
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<div>&#8220;A flashy portal doesn&#8217;t address the real issues—like teacher shortages, under-resourcing, and growing inequality in education. Parents and educators deserve more than surface-level solutions. This is a missed opportunity to invest where it counts.</div>
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<div>&#8220;All the evidence shows that real parental engagement—especially for communities facing the biggest barriers to achievement—happens through meaningful, face-to-face, culturally grounded relationships. Not a generic website.</div>
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<div>&#8220;The portal might be helpful to some, but it won’t make a dent in the serious challenges our schools are facing.&#8221;</div>

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