Stories by John Gerritsen
News
Covid-19: Foreign student industry faces dramatic drop
The $5 billion foreign student industry is facing a massive downturn with as many as half of this year's enrolments now in doubt.
Teachers respond to challenge of online learning
Teachers are in class today for the last time before the lockdown begins and they are all preparing exactly the same lesson for the nation's 800,000 school children.
Teachers at odds over urgent closure of schools, early childhood centres
All schools and early childhood centres need to be closed to prevent the spread of Covid-19, Teaching Council chief executive Lesley Hoskin says.
Coronavirus: Educators prepare distance learning in case of shutdown
Schools are figuring out how to teach students from home if they are shut down because of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Families of absentee pupils over-reacting to Covid-19 - Principals
Principals are frustrated that parents are refusing to send their children to school for fear of the Covid-19 coronavirus. Audio
Principals concerned as fees for camps, field trips dry up
Schools are struggling to get enough money to run camps because parents have realised they do not have to pay, principals say.
Parents seek tax rebates on past camp fees
The government's school donation scheme could open a floodgate of requests for tax rebates on cost payments for things like school camps going back four years.
Covid-19 outbreak puts schools' overseas trips in doubt
Schools are struggling to decide if they should go ahead with overseas trips involving thousands of students in light of the Covid-19 outbreak.
One in five school libraries 'suffering' under slashed funding
They are preparing to lobby the government to require all schools to have a library and to ring-fence their income so money for books and librarians cannot be diverted.
More teachers staying in the classroom into their 70s
The number of teachers working past retirement age has more than doubled in the past 10 years including hundreds older than 75.
Surge in Indian student visa refusals in 2019
The number of Indians denied study visas for New Zealand spiked last year with 5256 refusals, most of them for polytechnics and private tertiary institutes.
Covid-19: Auckland university freezes staff hires due to travel ban
The University of Auckland has frozen all new staff appointments because of the financial cost of the Covid-19 travel ban, with more than $30 million in revenue at risk. Audio
More voices argue against travel ban for Chinese students
One of China's biggest education agencies, JJL, wants the government to let Chinese students travel to New Zealand despite the Covid-19 travel ban.
'Changes are extremely dramatic' - Teachers hit back at NCEA proposal
Teachers of subjects as diverse as physics, Latin and economics are united in their rejection of the Ministry of Education's proposed changes to NCEA.
Massey University staff 'hard hit' by cut-back plan
One professor says the university's proposal to cut science, computing and engineering courses is extreme and short-sighted, while another says it makes no sense.
Schools resist some enrolments as they face a 'growing sea of violence'
Schools are increasingly resisting attempts to make them enrol children who have been kicked out of other schools for violent behaviour. Audio
NZQA halts enrolments for MIT course after marking issues
Enrolments at a Manukau Institute of Technology course have been stopped after it was found students were being marked too leniently.
Covid-19: Universities seek travel ban exemption for students
Universities have asked the government to exempt thousands of Chinese students from its ban on foreign travellers from mainland China. Audio
Schools counting the cost of donation scheme
Schools that are not in the government's donation scheme are worried it will hurt their ability to collect tens of millions of dollars in voluntary payments from families.
Survey paints grim picture of schooling for children with disabilities
Parents have told an IHC survey their disabled children are being bullied at school, many are not getting enough support, and some have been illegally blocked from enrolling altogether.
No more donations: Schools survey benefits of $63m scheme
Schools in the government's donation-replacement scheme have started the year figuring out what to do with their share of payments totalling $63.6 million.
Education Ministry, ERO at odds over early childhood service breaches
Documents show the Education Review Office found no rule breaches at an early childhood service even though the Education Ministry wanted to shut it down for multiple failings.
Ministry team cracks down on home-based Early Childhood Education
A little-known team in the Education Ministry has been targeting suspect early childhood services for two years, finding multiple health and safety breaches and putting poor performers out of…
Wuhan virus: NZ schools 'can do their own easy little testing'
Schools have been told to keep a close watch on foreign students arriving from regions affected by the deadly coronavirus as they reopen this week and next.
Teacher demand eases, but up to 900 more needed over the year
Schools are reopening from today and the Education Ministry expects it will need to find up to 900 extra teachers throughout the year.