Simon Bridges National MP simonbridges.co.nz

Certainly the lead up to December 25 was busy for me, with many functions and speaking engagements including a speech at the Bay of Plenty Polytechnic School of Business Graduation Ceremony, and attendance at the very entertaining Weekend Sun Christmas Breakfast. In addition, Parliament kept some very long hours in the past fortnight sitting for most of the weekend a couple of weeks back.

To give you a sense of how much we have achieved in Parliament this year, the Government passed 83 bills into law compared to 70 the year before. A further 63 bills had their first reading in the House and have gone to select committees for further consideration. Another 54 have been reported back to Parliament ready to go through their second and third readings.

Helping your child succeed

Primary school children around the country have now finished for the Christmas holidays. It's an exciting time for children, a busy time for parents, and an opportunity to reflect on your child's progress in the classroom over the past 12 months.

This year, primary and intermediate schools began implementing National Standards. The Standards are signposts that show what children should be able to achieve in reading, writing, and maths, and by when. Parents are sent plain-language reports on their child's progress at least twice a year.

Last week, an international study from the OECD came out, showing that New Zealand students performed a lot better than average in reading, maths, and science. This is a credit to the great job our teachers are doing.

However, the study also shows we have too many low achievers and that there's been no overall progress in reading since 2000, or in maths since 2003.

That's why National Standards are so important. One child in five leaves school without the basic skills they need to succeed in a modern economy. National Standards identify those who are falling behind, so they can get the help they need before it's too late.

We're supporting the Standards with $36 million over four years to help those children. This money will be used to develop resources and programmes to help lift the achievement of those who may otherwise fall behind and drop out.

We're also moving education resources to the frontline, and putting children at the heart of the education system – where they belong. At least 50 expert practitioners will be appointed to work closely with schools, and find ways to help their students succeed. We've also focused teacher development squarely on lifting student achievement.

This year has been a bedding in year for National Standards. I encourage parents to go and talk to your school about them, and how you can work together to make sure your child achieves in the classroom.

By implementing National Standards and providing extra support to teachers and schools, National is helping every child get the skills they need to succeed, reach their full potential, and make the most of their bright future.