Dear John,

We sit here in Auckland, in extreme frustration. Mired in Level 3 it seems for another 4-8 weeks, offered a few crumbs – picnics with friends and a walk in the bush.

Meantime, lives are on hold and the cruel economic calculus of our response to Covid carries on – a small minority of small business operators, especially those in hospitality and retail, getting smashed, while the majority of the population carries on largely cushioned from the economic impacts.   Our long-terms prospects are blighted by debt, but few seem to mind.

Pressure builds on families, on students as exams approach, on our mental health, and routine health issues are missed, storing up future trouble.  We remain isolated from the world.

And what are the ways out?   The same as they’ve always been – getting the population vaccinated and preparing the hospital system to cope with a burst of activity.

We continue to suffer because of the Government’s negligence in both these areas.

Even now, there is no urgency on the vaccine rollout.  One of my family members had their second dose on Sunday – one of only a handful there at the time, among a vast carpark vaccine station, surrounded by dozens of workers in hi-vis.  The Queen had laid a vast banquet and nobody had turned up.  

We gave only 7,000 people their first dose on Sunday – we’re told we have the capacity to do 100,000. 

The Prime Minister, having spent the first six months of the year saying other countries needed vaccines more than us, now pleads with Kiwis to get vaccinated.  

But no deadline is set.

That’s a recipe for drift – more weeks, months locked down. 

Surely, we need to set a date.  Everyone has a chance to have at least a first jab by then – and then we progressively get going.  Right now there is much we can do to fix arbitrary rules that impose unnecessary hardship on small groups.

In a free society, people have a right to choose – but no one can insist the rest of the country remains locked up because of their choices.

We need more hustle.

Chris Bishop and Judith have been fighting the good fight to hold the government to account for its choices, and in proposing sensible alternatives.

On maths

While Covid dominates the news, the Royal Society Te Aparangi released a report on Sunday on what the lead professor describes as the ‘’goddamn mess” our maths education system presents. 

All our talk of succeeding in a knowledge economy is empty so long as we’re struggling at maths.

The report echoes many of National’s four themes for fixing our broken education system.  We say:

1. The kids must be at school to learn.
2. A world-class curriculum that, if mastered, enables Kiwis to foot it with the best in the world.
3. Great teachers, teaching subjects that they know well in classrooms that are fit for learning.
4. Robust measurement of progress, so we know whether our kids are learning or not.

The Royal Society Te Aparangi’s maths report’s recommendations include:

1. One hour of maths every day in years 0-10
2. The need to clarify what should be learned each year, revising the curriculum regularly and high quality resources for all schools
3. Providing on-going maths training for all teachers
4. Clarify what progress looks like and design assessment tools for quick, meaningful feedback

These recommendations go to the core of the flaws within our current system, and the problems extend beyond maths.

It is good to see such a clear set of recommendations from experts in the field. 

Education is the greatest opportunity provided to all New Zealanders to reach their potential, regardless of background, and it is the foundation of our nation’s future prosperity.

National is determined, when back in office, to stop our drift and once again to equip young New Zealanders with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed globally.

Paul Goldsmith
http://paulgoldsmith.national.org.nz/