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 any product or service.

But it gets worse. As my report into the maths textbook procurement showed, we also know that:

• Prime Maths had an established relationship with Stanford.
• Stanford did not disclose this relationship to Parliament when given a chance to via a Parliamentary Written question.
• Stanford signed off on the procurement criteria for the maths textbooks.
• Prime Maths became one of four successful tenderers, all of whom are off-shore publishers.

And, a reminder that the recent removal of te reo Māori from textbooks isn’t an isolated case, the $30 million/year funding for that contract was taken from the Te Ahu o te Reo Māori initiative.

Today’s announcement of the Make it Write action plan echoes the Make it Count action plan: a reference to alarming data; a solution based on structured approaches and ‘resources’.

But is that data valid? As Stanford said, “the results were measured against the new curriculum expectations which were higher, because “it’s where children need to be”.” Remember, that is the curriculum that ERO’s quality assurance process deemed to be unfit for use.

$150 million is going into the commercial provision of the structured literacy PLD to support this action plan. There are a number of individuals who were on the MAG and curriculum writing teams who are also commercial providers of structured literacy PLD.

A “few million” are going to the digital writing tool: is that a Ministry developed tool, or a commercially provided one? Remember: the maths textbook procurement was run as a closed tender, justified under urgency.