Stories by John Gerritsen
News
Some Auckland students feel 'disadvantaged by lockdown'
Schools are thinking about asking some students who are planning to leave at the end of the year to return next year to complete credits.
Government urged to connect South Auckland homes to internet
Auckland Council's Southern Initiative is urging the government to connect South Auckland homes to the internet.
Low-level tertiary courses put Māori in debt with no earning gain - study
Researchers are urging the government to stop funding low-level tertiary courses that put young Māori into debt with no benefit to their future earnings.
Classroom ability 'streaming' racist, new research claims
Research warns streaming school classes by ability is racist and should be stopped.
Auckland secondary schools cautious as 10 apply to run classes
Some Auckland principals feel blindsided and undermined by the government's surprise decision to let some Year 12 and 13 students return to class.
ECE centres fear financial impact of extended lockdown
Auckland early learning centre owners say they can't survive without parents' fees and they would need government support if attendance was banned for an extended period.
Quarter-million children home from school in Auckland
Auckland principals say they are well-prepared for a return to home learning this week, but with about 250,000 at home, schools warns some children will fall behind.
Education agents back NZ as safe destination
Eighty-five percent of surveyed agents agreed or strongly agreed that New Zealand's handling of the outbreak made it a more attractive destination for foreign students.
NZ student increase 'won't make up shortfall' in international income
Polytechnics and universities are warning an expected leap in domestic enrolments next year will not make up for the loss of foreign students due to the pandemic.
Private tertiary education providers demand more funding
Private tertiary institutions are warning that the government's $10 million support fund for their sector is not enough to help them through the dramatic loss of foreign students.
Govt wants more focus on quality education than work rights for foreign students
A Cabinet paper shows the government wants to use the pandemic to transform the $5 billion international student sector.
Call to axe $100m learning scheme and redirect funding
An organisation representing school principals wants the government to scrap a scheme that is costing $100 million-a-year, most of it in extra pay for teachers and principals.
Long-term harm feared if tourism training cuts go ahead
The Tertiary Education Commission wants to slash government spending on tourism and retail courses by as much as 30 percent next year.
Otago teachers frequently attacked by students, survey reveals
A five-week survey has recorded more than 200 physical and verbal attacks on staff at 15 Otago schools.
Principals unhappy with changes to physical force rules
Teachers are disappointed the government has made only minimal changes to their right to use force to restrain students despite years of debate over the topic.
'Difficult situation' - Foreign students may have to stay over summer
Thousands of foreign students are expected to have to stay in New Zealand over the summer holidays because there is no quarantine plan to let them return if they leave.
Tertiary enrolments rise as job opportunities fall
Victoria University and Manukau Institute of Technology have reported hundreds more mid-year enrolments than normal as job opportunities dry up.
Principals fear border closure will worsen teacher shortage
Principals want foreign teachers exempted from the border ban so they can plug staffing gaps caused by the teacher shortage. Audio
Schools opting for group starts over Kiwi tradition
Ministry of Education figures show 101 schools have dropped the Kiwi tradition of letting children start school on their fifth birthday - opting instead for "cohort entry".
Tertiary Institutes turn to AI to identify students at risk of dropping out
The measures are part of a national push to dramatically reduce long-standing failure rates, particularly among Māori and Pasifika students.
'Kicked, hit, slapped and bitten' - Quarter of primary school teachers feel unsafe in class
Rising violence in primary schools has reached the point where one-in-four teachers feel unsafe in their own classroom - double the figure three years earlier, a national survey shows.
Teacher training enrolments stall amid ongoing shortages
The number of new students training to be school teachers has been falling despite good pay settlements last year.
Australian fee changes could benefit NZ universities
Massive fee rises at Australian universities are expected to affect New Zealand students and universities.
Uni students motivated only by fees-free policy struggle - study
The fees-free policy persuaded hundreds of students to enrol in university last year, but some did not cope well with their first year of study, research indicates.
Most institutes in new national polytechnic expect multi-million deficits
The institutes that make up the new national polytechnic made a multi-million-dollar deficit for the third consecutive year.