Education

Auckland Grammar principal: Education Hubs would be a disaster for schools

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A review of the school system has recommended sweeping changes, most controversially the implementation of a new organisation structure based around centralised Education Hubs. Auckland Grammar principal Tim O’Connor thinks that’s a terrible idea. The government is considering radical changes to New Zealand’s community-led state-school system. Claire Amos, principal of Albany Senior High School, yesterday … Read more

I’m a school principal – here’s why I support the Tomorrow’s Schools changes

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The independent taskforce report on Tomorrow’s Schools recommends big changes to school governance, and a lot of principals are up in arms. Auckland high school principal Claire Amos explains why she’s not one of them. As the sun set on the school year at the end of 2018, the Tomorrow’s Schools Independent Taskforce published their … Read more

A desperate plea from the parent of special needs child: we’re at our wit’s end

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Children with special education needs and disability aren’t even getting the education they’re legally entitled to, let alone the one they deserve, and it’s about time the Minister of Education took ownership, writes Jai Breitnauer. I’m writing this from my kitchen table, not my office, because my ASD child has once again been stood down … Read more

The 20 top jobs New Zealanders should be studying for

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A study using salary data, employment prospects, skill shortages and training positions suggests aspiring engineers, builders, teachers, midwives and panel beaters are off to a great start. First published in February 2019. One of the most difficult choices in a young person’s life is deciding what they want to study. They have to think about … Read more

What the future might look like for New Zealand’s polytechnics

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This week, the government proposed a major shakeup of New Zealand’s polytechnics and industry training organisations (ITOs). Associate professor at MAINZ Dr John Bassett weighs up both the pros and cons of this controversial move.  In 2014 I moved from teaching in the Australian university sector to set up a music degree in the polytechnic sector … Read more

The Bulletin: Wild rental inflation for Wellington

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Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Wild rental inflation hits Wellington, an end to tenure review system has been announced, and confirmation comes of Chinese squeeze on tourism. Wellington is experiencing a wild spell of rent inflation at the moment, reports One News. Average rents in the city are now $45 a week more … Read more

The Bulletin: What to do about China challenge?

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Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: China conundrum deepens for New Zealand’s diplomats, massive shakeup for polytechs signalled, and seagulls under serious threat. The relationship between the New Zealand and Chinese governments appears to be particularly strained right now. Over the course of this week, there have been a range of individual reports … Read more

LookUP is the Yahoo Answers for people with dyslexia

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Two 20-year-old Auckland students have created an app that combines the brevity of Q&A platforms like Yahoo Answers or Quora with the visual nature of websites like YouTube or Instagram. Now, they’re competing against 11 other teams all across Asia in one of the biggest student tech competitions in the world. A few years ago a … Read more

Why Niesh went from a free printing service to an app for student discounts

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Every week on The Primer we ask a local business or product to introduce themselves in eight simple takes. This week we talk to James Koo, co-founder of student discount and job listings app Niesh. ONE: How did Niesh start and what was the inspiration behind it? Niesh actually started as a project between me and … Read more

The bizarro world of the very young, very rich Jake Millar

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He’s 23 years old and runs a $9 million video company that interviews successful business leaders and then posts them online. Who is Unfiltered co-founder Jake Millar? And what even is Unfiltered?  “Who’s got a couple of thousand dollars to spare?” One hand, two hands, three hands go up – for a Dick Frizzell, a … Read more

The Bulletin: No Tomorrow for Tomorrow’s Schools?

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Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Major reforms proposed for governance of schools, mediation coming in bid to stave off Air NZ strikes, and announcement likely on ministerial transparency. A major review of how the school system is governed has recommended sweeping changes. The key proposals are covered by Education Central, and the core … Read more

The Bulletin: Schoolboy rugby embroiled in player poaching fight

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Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Schoolboy rugby embroiled in player poaching fight, sea level rises expected to hit vulnerable hardest, and embattled MP Maggie Barry faces inquiry. We’re going to start with a story about rugby today. But if you’re already thinking of skipping it, I urge you to reconsider, because this … Read more

The Side Eye: Everything to Everyone – understanding the teacher crisis

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The job’s got harder, the pay’s got worse. Toby Morris spends a day with two primary teachers and finds out what the teaching crisis is all about.     The Side Eye is a monthly non-fiction comic by Toby Morris, supported by NZ On Air. Read more comics here The Bulletin is The Spinoff’s acclaimed, free … Read more

Harnessing the power of gaming for good: Attitude Awards nominee Tim Young

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Kids will spend hours playing video games anyway so you may as well hook them into an online adventure that teaches them something, an Attitude Awards nominee says.  Tim Young says technology makes him “superhuman”. The founder of social enterprise Education These Days walks the talk when it comes to using tech to improve people’s … Read more

Why didn’t teachers strike under National? They were fighting to save education itself

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Earlier this week a trade unionist wrote for The Spinoff about the rise of public service strike action under the Labour government. Today former Green Party education spokesperson Catherine Delahunty shares her perspective. I have heard more than a few complaints that teachers did not strike under National, so why are they doing it now? … Read more

A petty matter: Why it’s OK that teens don’t know what ‘trivial’ means

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News that the word ‘trivial’ had stumped students taking an NCEA history exam has prompted worldwide ridicule and much handwringing about the state of New Zealand education. But is that really the right reaction, asks high school teacher and author Bernard Beckett. Trawling through the comments section of news sites, like driving on this country’s … Read more

The Bulletin: Desperate drive to address teacher shortage

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Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: Massive increase in overseas teacher recruitment drive, NZ activists reject Israeli court ruling, and the horrible state of Lake Horowhenua is in focus.  The government is ramping up efforts to recruit new teachers from overseas, and to lure NZ-trained teachers back home. The numbers being sought are … Read more

How your birth date influences how well you do in school – and later in life

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A new study reveals self-confidence among people in Australia can significantly differ because of their month of birth, and it’s down to when you start at school. Researchers Lionel Page, Dipanwita Sarkar and Juliana Silva Goncalves explain their findings (Spinoff editor’s note: In New Zealand, children start school between the age of five and six, typically following … Read more

The Bulletin: Plans, priorities and power

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Good morning, and welcome to The Bulletin. In today’s edition: 12 priority points outlined by the government, new airport proposed for Central Otago, and a brilliant feature on the myth of meritocracy through education. The coalition government has moved to address a raft of negative stories about their cohesion with an event in Auckland. Leaders and MPs … Read more

What parents really need to know about the ERO sex education report

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The Education Review Office has released a new report on sexuality education in New Zealand schools. It’s important that parents read beyond the more sensational media headlines, writes Family Planning national health promotion advisor Amanda Hargreaves. The first review of sexuality education in New Zealand schools since 2007 is out. For experts in this field, … Read more

The treatment of teacher aides is a feminist issue

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Poorly paid, with no job security and no formal career development, the mostly female profession of teacher aide has been badly treated for generations – and the knock-on effects are keeping others out of the workforce. Jai Breitnauer reports. Teachers are striking, psychologists are speaking out about the impact of a lack of resources, and as … Read more

How to have a sensible discussion about early childhood education

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There’s been a lot of talk about the state of early childhood education in New Zealand over the last few days. Most of it has been shit. Here’s Dr Jess Berentson-Shaw doing what she does best – cutting through the crap so we can have a rational conversation. I imagine a world where childcare is … Read more

Māori kids lose out when the charter school debate is drowned in ideology

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Charter schools are no silver bullet, but the principle behind kura hourua is a form of rangatiratanga (sovereignty) in action. The kōhanga reo example is a reminder that Māori education is too important to fall victim to partisan battles, writes Laura O’Connell Rapira. The Anglican missionaries who arrived in Aotearoa in 1814 came with a mission: convert … Read more

Should this big global company be part of a billion-dollar NZ research fund?

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Pearson Education’s role in evaluating the quality of education research conducted by New Zealand academics raises concerns over its for-profit programme in the Global South, not to mention that time they tried to sue Rangitoto College. Tertiary education organisations in New Zealand are lining up for their share of $1 billion from central government over … Read more

Could Zippy the squirrel be New Zealand’s Dora the Explorer?

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Every week on The Primer we ask a local business or product to introduce themselves in eight simple takes. This week we talk to Abhi Kala of Titan Ideas who’s reimagining cross-cultural storytelling through augmented (AR), virtual (VR), and mixed reality (MR) technology. ONE: How did Titan Ideas start and what was the inspiration behind it? I … Read more

Why must schools be immune to innovation?

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Former Auckland Grammar headmaster John Morris recently warned that ‘genuine education’ is in danger of being replaced by reforms amounting to ‘social engineering’. School principal Marama Stewart responds. As demonstrated by the intense competition to live in certain Auckland neighbourhoods, New Zealand continues to place great value on a traditional education. Auckland Grammar is still … Read more

These education reforms put the sector at the precipice of disaster

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Education policy should be evidence-based, informed by experts with real experience in the sector. Instead the never-ending drive to modernise every aspect of children’s lives at school is replacing genuine education with social engineering, argues former Auckland Grammar headmaster John Morris Having spent Queen’s Birthday Saturday at the ResearchED Conference in Auckland along with 300 … Read more

Why we’re determined to work with the government on the qualifications review

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In building a qualifications system fit for the 21st century, we can’t afford to expend excessive energy on ideological battles, and we’re looking to the minister to introduce a properly collaborative process, writes National Party education spokesperson Nikki Kaye In 2013 changes were made to the New Zealand Qualifications Framework to require a review of our … Read more