John Gerritsen
Teachers agree NZQA made 2022 trial NCEA exams too difficult
Teachers agree the Qualifications Authority unwittingly made trial NCEA tests too difficult last year.
Documents show the Education Ministry warned the authority that the way the reading, writing and… Audio
Education Ministry, NZQA at loggerheads over test failure rates
If they can't pass just make the test easier. That was the Education Ministry response to high failure rates in new High School literacy and numeracy tests.
Documents obtained by RNZ show the… Audio
Cyclone Gabrielle: Could be months before some schools reopen
An insurer says owners of cyclone-hit homes that were flooded in metres of water and contaminated silt can expect a write-off.
But that's not been the experience of some Hawkes Bay residents, who are… Audio
Universities encouraging students to actually attent lectures
Universities are encouraging students to actually turn up to their lectures instead of watching them online.
Academics say talking to near-empty halls last year was demoralising and they worry it… Audio
$74 million fund to boost school attendance across NZ
More than 90,000 children miss two or three weeks of class each term, and they could be getting a knock on the door very soon.
This morning the government announced a $74 million attendance package… Audio
The Week in Detail: Broken roads and brand new planes
The Detail podcast brings you the issues behind the news every weekday. Here's what we covered this week. Audio
Schools having a challenging the first week back
Covid-19, bad weather and the price of petrol are among the challenges schools have encountered in their first week back.
Principals say so far attendance has been good and they hope to keep it that… Audio
Truancy figures spiked in 2022
Education Ministry figures show serious truancy spiked in 2022.
The Attendance Service dealt with nearly 29,000 cases, - 40 percent or 8500 more than in 2021.
This year the ministry has nearly… Audio
Are foreign students coming back?
The pandemic smashed the international education sector - but are foreign students returning to our shores? Audio
Advocates call for expansion of free lunch programme
A group of health experts is urging the government to expand its free lunch scheme to more schools as families struggle with the cost of living crisis.
Health Coalition Aotearoa says more children… Audio
Heavy rain delays start to school year
Flooding and heavy rain has of course delayed the start of the school year for many in Auckland .
The good news is principals are expecting the big disaster of the last three years, Covid-19, will… Audio
Schools facing falling enrolments as number of kids drops
Some schools face falling enrolments as the number of school-aged children drops over the coming decade.
The latest Education Ministry forecast shows the number of school children dipped this year… Audio
Universities not convinced of need for single site
Universities are not convinced they need to be part of a single website offering online courses to students around the world.
Education New Zealand has spent nearly two-million-dollars on the project… Audio
Smoking, vaping behind jump in school children stood down
Smoking and vaping drove a jump in the number of school children punished with stand-downs last year.
Education Ministry figures show schools made nearly 21,000 stand-downs covering almost 16,000… Audio
NZ-made software putting schools at risk of cyber attack
New Zealand-made software is putting schools at risk of cyber-hacking attacks.
Education Ministry documents show particular fears about the systems schools use to record information about their… Audio
Concerns school bus drivers switching to better paid public transport
School bus drivers are warning some routes won't be serviced when classes resume next year. The drivers some of their colleagues are thinking about quitting for better paid public transport jobs… Audio
Concerns compulsory tests will deter international students
A deputy principal says international students may be deterred from enrolling in schools here if new NCEA literacy and numeracy tests are too hard to pass.
From 2024 teenagers must pass tests in… Audio
Documents show concerns about Covid-19 in school system
Newly-released documents show high-level concerns about the damage Covid-19 has done to the school system.
A Cabinet paper and Education Ministry briefings to government ministers cite an urgent need… Audio
Divisions over suggestion of mandatory reporting
Groups representing early childhood services and teachers are divided over calls for mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse but united in their belief that teachers need more training.
They say… Audio
Education Review Office concerned about Petone school
The Education Review Office has gone public saying it has significant concerns about a primary school in Petone.
Wilford School has more than 200 children.
Education correspondent John Gerritsen… Audio