All stories

Need to know: 12 top facts on ed reform

2012-04-04T00:12:13Z

As the New Zealand government continues its radical reform of public education, two new reports from the OECD explode some myths.

Need to know: 12 top facts on ed reform

2012-04-02T03:37:52Z

As the New Zealand government continues its radical reform of public education, two new reports from the OECD explode some myths.

Getting to know you

2012-04-02T03:34:54Z

Dr David Stewart says the current obsession with assessment and data-gathering in New Zealand schools has reached a tipping point.

The Network for Learning – who’s in and who’s out

2012-04-02T03:32:25Z

Ultra-fast broadband combined with the government’s new Network for Learning will change the digital world of schools. What will it look like? Sarah Jones investigates.

Home-sweet home?

2012-04-02T03:29:43Z

Diana investigates home-based ECE and discovers strong concerns leading to calls for greater protection of very young children.

It's good to be creative

2012-04-02T03:26:46Z

Jemaine Clement tells Amanda Hanan how a nerdy maths-loving kid moved from the front of the class to the back row.

South Auckland's success stories

2012-04-02T03:23:05Z

Crisis? What crisis?

The crisis in South Auckland’s schools, silly! Those failing schools, the incompetent teachers! Listen up, it’s the sound of galloping cavalry – here come the charter schools!
“Unbelieveable!” says principal Shirley Maihi, with good reason. She recently hosted the Australian Government General who came to see the innovations at her decile 1 school in Manurewa.
“It’s the grossest insult!” says Peter O’Connor, Associate Professor of Education at Auckland University. “Schools in South Auckland are the success story, teachers the unsung heroes – schools hold those communities together.”

It's not 1-in-5 who are failing, it's less than 1-in-10

2012-02-09T00:06:59Z

Emeritus Professor Terry Crooks (who specialised in student assessment at Otago University) supplied this analysis of the 2010 NCEA level 2 results.

He concludes that only around 7% of students leave year 8 ill-prepared to pass NCEA level 2. The 1-in-5/20%-are-failing statistic much-beloved of politicians includes students who are on track to pass level 2 but who drop out of school or don't sit the tests, and students with serious disabilities. New Zealand's problem is that too many capable Maori students drop out of high school.

Charter schools - why would you bother?

2012-01-19T02:18:17Z

The President of the education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa says the biggest question New Zealanders should be asking about charter schools is - why?

Reporting National Standards Data

2012-01-19T02:17:00Z

Attention Board of Trustee Chairs and Principals from NZEI, NZPF and BTAC

Dear Colleagues
The National Government has been re-elected with an education manifesto that includes an increased emphasis on reporting student achievement at both school level and system level. There will be a requirement for Boards to "publish annual plans, provisional targets, and achievements by 28 February each year". The National Party says it will "shift the resourcing model, so it incentivises performance," with Education Minister Anne Tolley reported as saying this means paying top performing schools more.