Wellington, Dec 19 (IANS): All primary and intermediate students in New Zealand are required to be taught an average of one hour a day of each of reading, writing and math, and the distraction of cellphones must be removed from classrooms, Education Minister Erica Stanford said on Tuesday.

These are the latest changes introduced to ensure all children get a world-leading education, the first steps in the coalition government's plan to lift student achievement, Xinhua news agency quoted Stanford as saying.

The target is to get 80 per cent of students to the curriculum by the time they finish intermediate, she said, adding starting from Term 1 2024, all students in Years 0-8 will be taught reading, writing and math for an average of one hour a day in each subject.

Many schools are already doing this well, but this change is about having time dedicated to teaching "in a purposeful and deliberate way consistently across New Zealand", the Minister said.

Reducing the distraction of cellphones will help maximize class time to lift achievement, Stanford said.

Effective from Term 2 2024, students will need to put their cellphone away for the day and schools will be required to have a cellphone policy in place by then, she said, adding exemptions will be allowed for students with health conditions or in special learning circumstances.