Labour's new education policy's being described as a band-aid for a deeper problem

The party's promising two-million hours of free literacy and math tutoring for intermediate and high school students, and a training fund to help teachers.

Education Hub founder Dr Nina Hood says one-on-one or small group tutoring is one of the most effective interventions.

But she says unless the underlying issues of why so many young people aren't achieving literacy and maths -- there won't be a long-term change.