Parents’ Alliance applauds Hipkins’ commitment to continuing the mandate for structured literacy**

MEDIA RELEASE

20 October 2026

Parents’ Alliance applauds Hipkins’ commitment to continuing the mandate for structured literacy**

The Parents' Alliance congratulates Labour leader Chris Hipkins for committing tonight to keep the structured literacy mandate in New Zealand schools.

Speaking in Stuff's Leaders' Debate, Mr Hipkins called structured literacy "a good scheme" that is "delivering results". He added: "It already is mandated. Of course we're going to continue it."

Parents' Alliance Chair Cameron Bagrie said the commitment gives families certainty, whoever forms the next government.

“Learning to read and write is the foundation for everything else a child does at school. Parents want certainty that the structured literacy approach embedded in the English curriculum will continue throughout their children’s schooling and won’t change with the government. Tonight Chris Hipkins gave them that certainty, and we congratulate him for it,” Mr Bagrie said.

Structured literacy is working. Phonics is one component of this broader approach, and the share of Year 1 children meeting expectations in their phonics check rose from 36% to 58% during 2025. With both major parties now behind structured literacy, teachers can plan with confidence and build on those gains instead of bracing for another change.

"The job isn't finished. Around two in three children in our most disadvantaged schools are still below phonics expectations. Whoever forms the next government must keep structured literacy in place and back it with the training, resources and small-group support those children need. This means for targeted funding support into education aimed at this disadvantaged schools or children. This is an investment in New Zealand’s future"

Our Parents' Guide to structured literacy can be found here.

ENDS

**During the election campaign, Chris Hipkins walked back Labour’s commitment to requiring structured literacy. In later interviews he said he would leave the door open to Reading Recovery, and he backed a “structured approach to literacy”, a phrase that has previously been used to include Reading Recovery techniques. Reading Recovery teaches children to guess unfamiliar words from pictures and context instead of sounding them out with phonics. 

Media contact: Cameron Bagrie, Chair and Spokesperson, The Parents’ Alliance 027 290 9844

About the Parents' Alliance: The Parents’ Alliance Te Kotahitanga o ngā Mātua, Le Lotogatasi o Mātua, 家长联盟, पारिवारिक मंच is a national group building a collective voice for parents, grandparents and whānau in education.