Chinese parents embrace new maths curriculum in primary schools

Many Chinese parents have welcomed the refreshed maths curriculum that has been introduced at New Zealand's primary schools this year.

As part of a government initiative to "transform maths education" by accelerating the rollout of the refreshed curriculum, 1890 primary schools - from Year 0 to Year 8 - have ordered new maths resources, including curriculum-aligned workbooks, according to latest Education Ministry data.

An estimated 430,000 students are expected to benefit from the rollout, the ministry said.

The changes have largely been well-received by the Chinese community, with many parents viewing them as a reform that will allow them to track their children's development better.

Jin Feng's youngest daughter attends Browns Bay School on Auckland's North Shore.

"I'm reasonably excited and looking forward to seeing the changes," Feng said.

Feng's three children were born in the United States, and his eldest daughter attended school there.

Feng was surprised after moving to New Zealand when he realised that many primary schools did not appear to follow a universal curriculum.

"In Texas, all public schools follow a clear curriculum with specific knowledge points students must grasp and achievement levels they need to meet," he said.

"We moved to New Zealand in 2018, and what worried us was the lack of explicit teaching plans and a consistent curriculum across all public schools here."

Feng recently compared the national curriculums of both countries and was pleased to see that the gap had narrowed.

"I've reviewed the Year 4 and Year 5 maths curriculum plan from the Ministry of Education," he said. "New Zealand's primary school curriculum is now almost on par with those in Texas and California, which is a positive step."

He described the new curriculum as "a step in the right direction," adding that it provided a clearer learning pathway with specific knowledge points and learning objectives, benefiting both teaching and assessment.

Feng said his only concern about the new curriculum was whether it would be continued by successive governments.

He also believed it was important to review the successes and failures of the new curriculum.

"If there isn't a standardized assessment system in place, we won't know how well we are teaching the kids, what the results are, where the deficiencies lie and how we can improve," he said.

Rita Zhang, whose youngest son is a Year 3 student at Auckland's Glamorgan School, recently saw the new maths workbook during a 15-minute parent-teacher meeting.

Similar workbooks are common in China but have proven to be a new experience for her son.

Zhang said the workbooks provided teachers with a clearer curriculum and standards to follow.

"Teachers change every year as students move up in primary school," she said. "Standardized learning workbooks and resources serve as useful references for teachers."

Zhang also agreed that an assessment system was needed to accompany the new curriculum.

Her main concern was how teachers would use the standardized maths workbook to support students with different learning levels and abilities.

Kyle Brewerton, president of the Auckland Primary Principals' Association, noted that primary schools were at different stages of implementation, so the rollout of the new structured curriculum would not happen immediately in all schools.

He said the new curriculum should help improve consistency across schools.

"What the new curriculum also does is provide teachers, particularly those new to the profession, with more clarity," he said.

"Parents can now look at the curriculum and get a clearer picture of what they can expect their children to be learning at each year level.

"They now have something more concrete to lean on. Before this, each school [came] up with its own version [of the curriculum], but now there will be much greater consistency."

Brewerton noted that teachers could face a new challenge in how to effectively use the teaching workbooks and resources, ensuring they avoid a rigid approach while incorporating broader practical experiences into students' learning.

"Just doing sums all day is enough to drive anyone insane," he said. "It comes down to the teacher bringing life and joy to the classroom."

Pauline Cleaver, acting deputy secretary of Te Poutāhū Curriculum Centre, said the new maths system included four different resources.

Cleaver said the Ministry of Education's new Curriculum Insights and Progress Study would track progress toward the government's goal of having 80 percent of Year 8 students at or above the expected curriculum level in reading, writing and maths by December 2030.

A review and maintenance programme were also planned to ensure the curriculum remained up to date and responsive to future needs, she said.

"Schools will continue to assess and report progress in reading, writing and maths using a range of assessments and standardised tools such as PAT and e-asTTle," Cleaver said.

"A new phonics check is also being introduced to help ensure students are making progress in literacy during their first year of school."