News
Govt to phase out 'special needs'
The term "special needs" marginalises children with disabilities and will be phased out as part of a wider review, the government says.
Charter school accounts scrutinised
The country's eight charter schools paid their owners or related entities more than $1 million for administration and management services last year.
'It's stupid': Student groups reject loan interest proposal
Students' associations have rubbished suggestions the government should reintroduce interest on new student loans. Audio
Female enrolments fall at Canterbury University
The proportion of women students dropped below 50 percent at a major New Zealand university for the first time in a decade last year.
Principals join criticism of funding proposal
Principals' groups have joined criticism of the government's new-look version of bulk funding for schools.
Unions unite against government's school plans
Two major teachers' unions are joining forces to fight the government's planned overhaul of the school and early childhood funding systems. Video
Middle-class holidaymakers add to school truancy rates
New statistics show family holidays during school time now accounts for 10 percent of unjustified absences from school last year. Audio
Rethink interest-free student loans, says poverty action group
The Child Poverty Action Group is calling for a rethink of the zero-interest student loan policy.
Privacy concerns over new school children's database
A teachers' union wants privacy assurances about a multi-million dollar plan to collect and share information about school children.
Enrolment restriction could be discriminatory - lawyers
Lawyers for a residential special school near Nelson say its enrolments are being limited by rules that could breach the Bill of Rights Act.
Over 33,000 Chinese student visas granted
The number of study visas granted to Chinese students has topped 30,000 a year for the first time in a decade. Are support services coping?
Teachers' judgements of national standards 'lack dependability'
Teachers' judgements of national standards cannot be relied on and some children's results might be wrong, a government-funded report says. Audio
ERO changes 'too much' for schools to face
The Education Review Office's new approach to tackling under-achievement has been criticised for burdening schools that are already doing their best.
Two-year achievement gap between high and low decile schools
Students at lower decile schools are an average of two years of schooling behind students at higher decile schools, according to research. Audio
Fears of backlash by Indian education agents
Tertiary insitutions are worried NZ's lucrative education trade with India will be endangered by accusations of fraud and high visa refusal rates.
Thousands of Indian students denied visas
Tertiary institutions are trying to enrol thousands of Indian students that Immigration New Zealand does not believe are really intending to study here.
Expelled students to be reimbursed
The expulsion from a Tauranga school of three German students who smoked marijuana on their own time was a breach of the Education Act, a court has confirmed.
School monitoring improvements needed - NZI
The Ministry of Education must improve the way it helps failing schools, a national think tank says.
New library service cops teachers' flak
Delays are dogging the National Library's new service to schools, says the School Libraries Association.
Govt eyes funding for private schools
The government has proposed a new way of funding private schools and tight controls on how state and integrated schools use their property funding.
Teachers fear 'bulk funding in new guise'
A government proposal is threatening to revive one of the most bitter disputes the school sector has seen in the past 25 years. Audio
Indian students fight visa fraud deportation
A group of Indian students is fighting deportation in a case their lawyer says could affect hundreds of foreigners studying here.
Trainee teacher plan 'formula for disaster'
Putting trainee teachers in charge of classrooms is dangerous and a recipe for disaster, educators have told a parliamentary select committee.
Polytechs earn $150m from foreign students
Annual reports show foreign students paid the nation's polytechnics a record $150 million in fees, underpinning surpluses at many of the institutions.
Data, leadership key to improving Māori achievement
The Education Ministry needs to find out why some schools are better than others at raising Māori achievement, says Auditor-General Lyn Provost.