WELLINGTON, May 18 (Xinhua) -- New Zealand will invest 131 million NZ dollars (76.5 million U.S. dollars) to strengthen core literacy and numeracy skills in schools, Education Minister Erica Stanford announced on Monday.

Speaking at a primary school near the capital Wellington, Stanford outlined a package aimed at boosting achievement and closing the equity gap, with details to be confirmed in the upcoming budget.

The funding would support a dozen initiatives targeting reading, writing and mathematics across primary and intermediate levels, Stanford said, adding the plan forms part of the government's goal for 80 percent of Year 8 students to meet expected curriculum level by 2030. ■