Latest from Secondary Education

Toby Manhire: Leaked - Charter school for aspiring MPs

The report plans for the creation of a "Finishing School for New Zealand Political Aspirants - the Cabbage Boat Academy", writes Toby Manhire.

Return of bullrush defies mollycoddlers

Bullrush and other potentially bruising activities are returning to play as research points to the long-term benefits of scraped knees and the odd broken bone.

Solo parent joins ball debate

A secondary school is sticking to its decision to ban non-donation paying students from its ball, as another parent calls the policy blackmail.

Police warn schools off after balls

Police have asked schools to warn students and parents off boozy after-parties during the ball season.

Charter schools on track

There won't be any changes to legislation around the controversial partnership schools despite opposition parties continuing their objections to elements of the bill.

Heads back graduate teachers

Backers of a controversial scheme to fast-track trainee teachers into classrooms are claiming initial success, with all 16 inaugural graduates passing their first three months as teachers.

Education gets $80m funding boost

The Government will invest $80.5 million of operating funding over four years to lift educational achievement, including funding for behaviour programmes.

Charter schools fall in

It's exam time for applicants hoping to run charter schools, the Act Party's competitive prod at state schools which are said to be failing too many Maori, Pacific and other "disadvantaged" kids.

Dunne to oppose charter school in upcoming vote

United Future leader Peter Dunne has said he won't support a bill to introduce charter schools. However, the bill will go ahead with National, Act and Maori Party support.

Education ministry 'ineffective'

The Ministry of Education is bloated, inefficient and making the jobs of principals more difficult, says the outgoing president of the Secondary Principals' Association.

Shelley Bridgeman: School zone cheating

In this environment it almost defies belief that people continue to think they can fool the system, writes Shelley Bridgeman. Anyone who tries to cheat like this is clearly not thinking straight.

New schools announced for Hamilton

John O'Neill: Charter schools totally undemocratic

The chances of the most disadvantaged students getting any benefit from a PPP school may be no better than the toss of a coin, writes John O'Neill.

Deborah Hill Cone: It's not dumb to want a better life

Oh-kayyyy. So Mike Williams, a former Labour Party president, calls parents who try to get their kids into higher decile schools "dumb", writes Deborah Hill Cone.

Editorial: Maths at your fingertips a key life skill

It is many years since our primary schools adopted "new maths".

Has the Govt handled the Christchurch school closures well?

Students told: Stick with arts

The country's medical schools are lending support to a music teacher who has sounded an alarm over talented students ditching arts to pursue science studies.

John Minto: Special deal for privileged pupils

In plain language, the Wanganui Collegiate integration is a taxpayer bailout for a failing private school, writes John Minto.