Stories by John Gerritsen
News
Online learning: 'It opens up a world of possibilities'
There are hopes the online learning the pandemic forced on schools this year will permanently change the way many teachers work.
Quarter of Auckland schools exceed capacity
Education Ministry figures show a quarter of Auckland's 503 schools had enrolled more students than their official classroom capacity by the middle of the year.
Auditor-General warns of potential $53m loss for polytechnics
The Auditor-General has warned that the national polytechnic could lose $53 million this year and double that amount next year.
Results in maths and science 'a worrying trend'
New Zealand's bad results in an international maths and science test are being blamed on factors including grouping children by their ability and the previous government's national standards in…
New design plans aim to fast-track school building projects
School principals hope a new set of off-the-shelf classroom designs will eliminate frustrating delays in building new rooms.
Rural schools look to online classes as they struggle to hire teachers
Some rural school principals say they will have to resort to online teaching next year because they cannot find enough staff.
Deal promises pathway for eventual return of foreign students
The government has announced a deal it hopes will create a cohort of foreign students who will be ready to enter New Zealand when the borders open.
Teaching Council backtracks on remarks over prosecution powers
The Teaching Council has backtracked after warning the government this year that it lacked the statutory power to prosecute people who teach illegally.
Auditor-General warns schools to budget carefully
The Auditor-General is warning that hundreds-of-millions of dollars of school income is at risk because of the pandemic and schools must budget carefully to avoid financial problems.
New NCEA literacy and numeracy standards: 'They are definitely challenging'
Academics and teachers are warning a new mandatory NCEA literacy and numeracy test could be too tough for some teens.
Teens go into exams with fewer NCEA credits than last year
Teenagers had about 300,000 fewer NCEA results in the bag last month than at the same time last year, according to Qualifications Authority figures.
Dip in writing achievement for boys in high-decile schools
A national study of primary school children has found a fall in performance in writing for some eight-year-olds but next to no change in reading.
'The trend is of concern' - School leavers with no qualifications rises
The number of teenagers leaving school with no qualification rose for the second consecutive year in 2019, with boys and Māori worst affected, Education Ministry figures show.
Schools advised not to practise offender lockdowns with students
In new guidance to schools, the Ministry of Education also says teachers cannot stop parents taking their children from classrooms during emergency lockdowns.
ECE 'has become baby farming'
A quarter of the roughly 4000 early childhood teachers surveyed said they could not endorse the quality of the places they worked.
ECE teachers reveal centres' secrets in national survey
A thousand early childhood teachers have so little confidence in the early learning centres they work in that they wouldn't send their own children there.
NCEA and Scholarship exams begin today
NCEA and Scholarship exams start this morning, involving 140,000 teenagers over the next four weeks.
Ministry forecasts end to primary teacher shortage, but problems in secondary schools
The Education Ministry expects there will be enough primary teachers to meet demand for the next three years while a shortage of secondary teachers will continue.
Teachers' council and union clash over fees heads to court
An ongoing fight between the secondary teachers' union and the Teaching Council over fee increases for teachers' practising certificates is heading to court.
Ministry of Education wants to tighten ECE rules
The Ministry of Education is planning a series of rule changes that will make it easier to crack down on poor-quality early childhood centres.
Proposal to increase minimum temperature in early childhood centres welcomed
A public health specialist is backing plans to raise the minimum temperature in early childhood centres from 16C to 18C, saying it will reduce the spread of viruses.
Online cheat-detection possible for NCEA exams
The Qualifications Authority is considering using computer systems to monitor students for possible cheating while they sit online NCEA exams.
Government planning for mega schools, but are they a good idea?
The Education Ministry has revealed it is planning for mega schools for up to 4500 students, with modelling suggesting there will be schools that big by 2043.
Auckland schools' rapid growth likely to worsen
A population expert is warning that the record growth stretching Auckland schools could get even worse.
'Schools might start to bulge at the seams or struggle to cover classes'
Auckland schools have recorded their fastest growth in more than a decade, with figures showing the region had more than 4000 more students than at the same time last year.