Stories by John Gerritsen
News
Schools face hurdles rebuilding foreign student enrolments
Schools are facing a number of hurdles as they try to rebuild their lucrative foreign student enrolments in a competitive market.
'You can't underestimate how important it is': Special education system overhaul announced
The government is promising to extend learning support to thousands more disabled children through a substantial overhaul of the $1.2 billion special education system.
'They feel insulted': Govt pay offer fails to pass grade with teachers
Teachers and principals at primary and secondary schools look set to refuse a $6000 pay rise describing it as disappointing and hard to stomach.
Union reduces university staff pay demand to match inflation rate
The Tertiary Education Union has lowered the pay rise it is seeking for university staff from 8 percent to 7.2 percent.
Students embrace 'bare minimum' approach to learning after disrupted years
From lack of motivation to increased dependence on mobile phones, secondary schools are counting the cost of the pandemic.
Chronic absence rate nearly doubles in second school term - report
School attendance hit a new low in the second term with just 39.9 percent of children going to school regularly.
Pupils' results worse in technology, arts than five years ago, tests show
Testing shows children's achievement in technology and the arts has fallen but in te reo Māori it held steady and even improved.
Parents describe 'horrible experience' as school excludes autistic son from classes
A family has complained to the Human Rights Commission over a school's refusal to let their five-year-old autistic son attend.
'A lot of learning time lost': NZ's falling school attendance revealed
The Education Review Office warns New Zealand has worse school attendance than other English-speaking countries and many parents don't care if their children miss classes.
Test results indicate pandemic set back children's education by months
Associate Education Minister Jan Tinetti says test results indicate the pandemic has set children's learning back by months.
Principals expect pandemic's disruption to learning will take years to make up for
Nearly three years of pandemic-related disruption has damaged learning in some schools and left others almost unscathed.
'Students, families suffering needlessly' with delay in school disputes panel
Youth Law and the children's commissioner warn that children are being kicked out of class without good reason while the government dallies on setting up a school disputes panel.
Country's biculturalism attracting US students - Education NZ
American universities increasingly see New Zealand as a good place to send students to study diversity and indigenous issues, Education New Zealand says.
New NCEA tests could jeopardise Māori and Pacific students' achievement rates
The warning comes from an independent evaluation of a trial-run of online tests in reading, writing and maths involving 16,000 mostly Year 10 students in July.
Principals worried about 'families gone missing' as truancy numbers increase
The Attendance Service has investigated 16,771 new cases of serious truancy in the first half of this year.
Education Ministry puts record keeping software on hold due to cybersecurity concerns
The threat of hackers has stalled a $40m school IT project for more than a year.
Briefing to minister shows doubts remain over mega polytech
Officials approve of recent changes at Te Pūkenga but question marks remain over its financial viability and its core missions, according to a report.
Striking university staff across Aotearoa protest pay offer
Several thousand university staff walked off the job today in support of their claim for an eight percent pay rise.
Education Ministry to cut teacher funding due to falling rolls
A predicted fall in the number of school children could cost hundreds of teachers their jobs next year.
'Creates inequity': Teacher union leaders call for end to streaming into ability classes
The leaders of the secondary teachers' union, the Post Primary Teachers Association, want schools to stop grouping students in low and high ability classes by 2030. Audio
How NZ education compares to other OECD countries
The OECD's annual report on education warns too many young people in developed countries may be enrolling in degrees.
'Not all schools are welcoming of disabled learners' - ERO
The Education Review Office is planning a crackdown on schools that fail disabled children, saying some are breaking the law by actively discouraging children with disabilities.
Principals worry this year could be worst in pandemic for NCEA credits
Principals spoken to by RNZ said two-and-a-half years of Covid-19 disruption had left many young people short of the motivation and credits they needed to get their NCEA qualifications.
Funding for catch-up learning 'too little, too late', schools say
Schools are trying to find extra teachers and tutors so they can spend their share of $20 million for catch-up learning.
Schools to learn of funding changes as new equity index replaces deciles
Schools are finding out today how much money they get under the new equity index system that replaces school deciles next year.