When Stanford took office, the Ministry’s briefing documents were keen to stress the re-balancing work that had been done to date, but warned against “centrally setting a highly detailed teaching programme”. To do so would be a “significant departure from evidence about the value of enabling and expecting the profession to respond to individual learners […]# Content-Attribution # Source: bevanholloway.com Content Creator: Bevan Holloway Date: 2025-09-02T06:35:25+0000

In 2018, in her opening remarks for the panel discussion at the Festival of Education held at Auckland Grammar, Elizabeth Rata mused about Māori underachievement. What if the dominant way of thinking about it, that “the issue is these children don’t achieve because their culture … is not recognised … and therefore the solution that […]# Content-Attribution # Source: bevanholloway.com Content Creator: Bevan Holloway Date: 2025-09-01T08:49:44+0000

Is Erica Stanford woke for keeping reference to Te Tiriti in the amendments to the Education and Training Act? That’s a question that has been vexing a number of people on the right. Michael Johnston went on The Platform to defend her from that accusation. His defence wasn’t that keeping reference to Te Tiriti is […]# Content-Attribution # Source: bevanholloway.com Content Creator: Bevan Holloway Date: 2025-08-31T08:06:52+0000

30 January, 2024: that is the day that agreement was sought from the Minister to update the terms for the MAG. That is 2 weeks after their first meeting. The updated terms effectively reposition the work of the MAG from reviewing the existing refresh work to directing the rewrite of the curriculum, including its knowledge-rich […]# Content-Attribution # Source: bevanholloway.com Content Creator: Bevan Holloway Date: 2025-08-27T08:01:53+0000

In August 2023, the New Zealand Initiative published ‘PRESCRIPTION FOR PROSPERITY: 2023 BRIEFING TO THE INCOMING GOVERNMENT‘. In the education section, it is easier to count what hasn’t been done. The first call they make in that section is to amend the Education and Training Act, by making academic achievement the sole priority for school […]# Content-Attribution # Source: bevanholloway.com Content Creator: Bevan Holloway Date: 2025-08-26T07:53:06+0000

In response to the Parliamentary Written Question (PWQ) about “What evidence, if any, has the Minister received that shows that the “greatest impact for reading” for Māori students is Structured Literacy?” – a claim she made on Q&A on 10 August – Stanford referred to the evidence base for Better Start Literacy (BSL). There are […]# Content-Attribution # Source: bevanholloway.com Content Creator: Bevan Holloway Date: 2025-08-25T08:21:30+0000

Under questioning by Lawrence Xu-Nan in the December, 2024, Education Select Committee, MacGregor-Reid made this initial statement about MAG (1:19): “The Ministry, as it would with any MAG, provided secretariat support. We also provided background papers, information that was requested. The MAG produced their report. That report was considered by the Minister in discussion with […]# Content-Attribution # Source: bevanholloway.com Content Creator: Bevan Holloway Date: 2025-08-21T06:28:31+0000

On 6 March, 2024, a Curriculum Deep Dive Session was held in the Ministry.’s executive wing. In attendance were Iona Holstead, Pauline Cleaver, Kiritina Johnstone, Julia Novak, and Ruth Shinoda, as well as Minister Stanford. An annotated agenda helped to frame that meeting. That included an update on where things were at regarding the refresh […]# Content-Attribution # Source: bevanholloway.com Content Creator: Bevan Holloway Date: 2025-08-20T02:36:29+0000

In an article by Laura Walters published on 18 June 2024 on Newsroom, Walters writes, “While it had not been officially recommended, the minister has mentioned Prime Maths could follow on from her structured approach to literacy.” This is a breach of the Cabinet Manual, specifically Clause 2.106: No Minister should endorse in any media […]# Content-Attribution # Source: bevanholloway.com Content Creator: Bevan Holloway Date: 2025-08-19T05:04:19+0000

It is good to see people beginning to question the guidance Stanford is receiving, and from whom. It is clear that even from the earliest days of her role as Minister of Education, she was more inclined to defer to voices outside the Ministry. I think we must see her decisions in that light. Elizabeth […]# Content-Attribution # Source: bevanholloway.com Content Creator: Bevan Holloway Date: 2025-08-18T08:07:36+0000

Erica’s curriculum MAG, which had Michael Johnston as chair and counted Elizabeth Rata and Melissa Derby as members, sent its report to the Ministry on 19 March, 2024. Public service guidelines state that advisory groups are to supply advice “direct to the minister”, but they “should not undertake activities that cut across the responsibilities of […]# Content-Attribution # Source: bevanholloway.com Content Creator: Bevan Holloway Date: 2025-08-18T06:52:22+0000

If there was ever any doubt about who was calling the shots regarding the curriculum rewrite, Michael Johnston made it clear on 4 April, 2024. Elizabeth Rata had had her curriculum writing team organised from 23 March, including the venue (Auckland Grammar). But they hadn’t been able to get started because they needed Stanford to […]# Content-Attribution # Source: bevanholloway.com Content Creator: Bevan Holloway Date: 2025-08-14T08:15:27+0000