Photo: Unsplash/ Taylor Flowe
The Education Review Office wants tougher action on struggling schools that do not improve.
In its annual report the office criticised the lack of support for under-performing schools and called for "stronger consequences" for those that did not demonstrate progress.
It told RNZ that could see high-performing schools provide intensive mentoring for the leaders of schools that did not improve.
It said school principals were the key to lasting improvement.
The report said ERO was involved with 168 "schools of concern" and published reports for 54 of them in 2024/25 year, recommending statutory intervention or Education Ministry support for 32.
The report said review office staff had increased their engagement and support for struggling schools but "results are mixed".
Only one-third of schools receiving support had improved, a third got worse and a third did not change.
"Too many schools are not turning things around fast enough. There is a real need for a stronger, system-wide approach," the report said.
"In particular, we need to provide better and more sustained support for school leaders, since strong leadership
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