18th April 2026
An educators’ collective has raised concerns about the uptake of the Government’s new SMART assessment tool, with reports indicating that only around 60 percent of schools have signed up so far.
Purpose of the SMART tool
The SMART tool is a bilingual digital platform designed to provide consistent information about student achievement and progress. It aligns with the refreshed New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa and is intended to help teachers monitor learning and track progress over time.
According to the Ministry of Education guidance, the system is free for schools and is meant to support more consistent reporting across the country, giving teachers clearer insights into student learning needs.
Concerns about adoption and confidence
Despite its intended purpose, the Aotearoa Educators Collective says uptake has been lower than expected. The group has reported that some principals have indicated they have registered for the tool but may not fully intend to use it in practice.
Concerns have also been raised about confidence in the systems more broadly, with questions about whether the tool has been fully tested and whether it aligns well with existing assessment approaches already used in schools.
Debate over standardised assessment
The introduction of SMART has renewed wider debate about standardised assessment in New Zealand education. Supporters argue that a consistent national tool can help identify learning progress more clearly and support targeted teaching.
However, some education groups have previously expressed concern that increased standardisation may not reflect the diversity of learners and teachers’ approaches across schools, particularly during a period of wider curriculum change.
Implementation still developing
The SMART tool is still in early stages of rollout, with schools gradually adopting the system ahead of its first full assessment cycles. Guidance from the Ministry indicates that schools can choose between SMART, e-asTTle, and PAT tools for progression monitoring in 2026.
As implementation continues, uptake levels and feedback from schools are likely to play a role in shaping how the tool is used in practice and whether it becomes a consistent part of national assessment.
