Patrick Walsh
Principals groups says govt has gone soft on drugs
The Government wants to change the law to bar schools from drug testing students and using sniffer dogs to search for drugs. Audio
Legislation allowing schools to search students
Schools will have legal permission to seize students electronic devices, including possibly accessing text messages, if a new bill is passed into law. Audio
Principals seek compensation
Secondary school principals want to be compensated for the stress and extra cost caused by the new payroll system. Audio
New teachers' pay system criticised
More now on the 5-thousand school staff who have been underpaid and 15 who haven't been paid at all in the first run of the new school payroll system. Audio
School principals discuss report into sex offender teacher
A raft of recommendations to improve the way school teachers are vetted have been applauded by some in the education sector, but others say they should go further. Audio
Principals says recommendations should go further
School principals say a raft of recommendations to improve the way teachers are vetted should go further - but teachers are urging caution. Audio
Secondary principals say no crisis in the achievement levels
Secondary principals say there is no crisis in the achievement levels of year 9 and 10 students, despite a report from the Education Review Office describing the first two years of high school as… Audio
Principals losing confidence in special needs education
Some secondary principals say they are being forced to discriminate against children with special needs. Audio
League tables will hurt children's learning - principals
Principals and academics say introducing league tables to compare primary schools will ultimately hurt children's learning. Audio
Calls for school decile system to be reviewed
School principals are calling for the decile system to be reviewed, after the release of figures showing fewer Pakeha students are attending low decile schools. Audio
Tech teacher and secondary teachers on policy dumping
The Government has dumped its Treasury-approved plan to increase class sizes, saying it's unacceptable to parents and teachers. Audio
Education groups meet to plan against Government changes
Education unions and associations will gather in Wellington to prepare an action plan to oppose the Government's changes to class sizes. Audio
The possible closure of special needs schools
Parents of special needs students are fighting against proposed closures of residential special schools. Audio
More nurses to be put into poor secondary schools
Secondary principals say getting more nurses into poorer schools to help teenagers with mental health problems still leaves the most acutely ill without treatment for too long. Audio
School principals question deal to bring in charter schools
The main secondary school principals' group is asking whether the incoming Government's education deal revealed today is a veiled attempt to franchise schools. Audio
Bullying, is it getting more violent?
The president of the Secondary School Principals Association, Patrick Walsh, joins the programme to discuss how we're dealing with bullying. Audio
Principals group says school quake strengthening is poor
A growing number of school principals around the country are worried their schools aren't being earthquake strengthened to a high enough standard. Audio
Sniffer dogs in schools
The police say they can no longer agree to schools' requests to carry out random drug dog searches after a new legal opinion saying the practice - something they've been doing for years - is illegal… Audio
Sniffer dog drugs searches in schools to end
The police have stopped bringing sniffer dogs into schools for random drug searches, because they may be illegal. Audio
New powers for teachers
New guidelines have been released spelling out how teachers can legally search students and their bags for drugs and weapons. Audio