Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

The union representing primary school teachers says a Government announcement on the new national standards focuses too far into the future.

Benchmarks for numeracy and literacy came into force in primary and intermediate schools last week.

The primary school teachers union, the NZEI, has concerns about how the data will be used.

In his speech to Parliament on Tuesday, Prime Minister John Key said a policy will be developed about the use of information collected through national standards.

But NZEI national president Frances Nelson says that's a flow-on issue and the focus should be on getting the standards right and a trial is needed.