Stories by John Gerritsen
News
New maths and literacy curriculum plans 'insane', principals say
The expectation that schools will be ready to teach the new curriculum next year is being dubbed "absolutely unrealistic". Audio
New English curriculum to focus on grammar, punctuation
Poetry, spelling patterns and handwriting lessons are on the cards for primary-aged children.
NCEA test pass rates much lower in schools from poor communities
Only a third of students from schools in poor communities passed literacy tests in May, and one in five passed numeracy tests, well below those of the most advantaged students.
Te Pūkenga staff 'pissed off', tired by organisation's constant change
The institution's chief executive also told Parliament some polytechnics are unlikely to be financially viable.
Schools told to ensure teens 'well prepared' to re-sit maths, literacy tests
The Qualifications Authority has a warning about students redoing numeracy and literacy tests if they have failed once already.
Staffer raises fears curriculum writing teams not appointed on merit
Emails show a Ministry of Education staff member feared appointments were not being made on merit.
Fears as 30,000 teens fail new maths exams
Principals are calling for a rethink after worrying pass rates - some below 50% - for the new NCEA literacy and numeracy tests.
Universities' finances worse than they appear - report
Two universities are financially considered "high risk". Audio
More children starting school struggling to speak - teachers
Teachers said some children could not talk in sentences of more than four or five words. Audio
Polytechnics face losses under plan to dissolve Te Pūkenga
The government wants some polytechs to stand alone and to group the other, weaker ones together - but this option will be costly, advisers say. Audio
Teachers need to give more warning over strike action - Cabinet paper
The government is hoping to increase the minimum notice of a strike to at least seven calendar days.
应对入学人数激增,新西兰过半中小学年底前将划定学区
教育部呈递给政府的一份简报显示,该部希望到今年年底时能增加61个新学区,届时让学区总数达到1282个,覆盖新西兰略超一半的中小学。
More than 50% of NZ schools to implement enrolment zones
An Education Ministry briefing to the government showed it expected to add 61 new enrolment schemes by 2025. Audio
Small polytechs would be federated, others left to stand alone, under govt plan
The government has unveiled plans to group the weakest polytechnics together and let the strongest stand alone.
'Please listen': Charter schools would break labour laws, union says
The government's charter school legislation will break labour, human rights and free trade provisions, according to the Council of Trade Unions.
'Undemocratic and authoritarian' - Educators lash out at charter school plans
Charter schools are a recipe for disaster that will loot resources from state schools, MPs have heard.
Stand-alone body for kaupapa Māori education backs long-held dream - campaigners
Kura kaupapa Māori are hailing a Waitangi Tribunal decision as a major breakthrough in their push for self-determination.
'We've gone backwards': Principals fume over backtrack on building work
Principals are frustrated and worried by a decision to halt 100 school building projects.
More earn-while-you-learn degrees on the way
Degrees that can be completed in the workplace as an apprenticeship instead of in a lecture hall are in the pipeline.
Govt's last-minute changes to bill - two days before submissions end
David Seymour says the late changes are necessary to stop teacher unions from hamstringing the schools.
Multi-million-dollar IT project continues for Te Pūkenga despite looming demise
The new finance system will be useful for the institutes that replace it and stopping it would cause significant cost increases, the mega-institute says.
Workplace training shake-up: Employers could go elsewhere to train staff
Some industries could revolt and set up their own training programmes if they don't like the government's plans for apprenticeships and workplace training.
Apprenticeship funds could be used to re-establish polytechs
Most polytechnics will need millions of dollars in extra funding to pay the bills once they are cut free from mega-institute Te Pūkenga.