News

The Post Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA) has been succinct in its response to a scathing Ombudsman report into the Christchurch school closures debacle, referring to its blog written in 2012 when the closures were announced.

The Māui Dolphin Challenge, a WWF-New Zealand campaign, has 16 passionate young supporters following its work from 12, 000 km away in South America.

The odds have long been stacked against the children of Gisborne, a city with the highest rate of childhood obesity in New Zealand, the second-highest rate of unemployment, and the lowest rate of life expectancy. But a new life skills programme run in schools may turn those statistics around.

A New Plymouth student who applied for an internship at a local engineering company and was told ‘no girls allowed’ described her dismay at her experience of gender inequality during a recent youth forum.

As Matariki draws near, Trees That Count is joining the Māori New Year celebrations by offering community groups, schools and non-profit organisations the opportunity to win native trees for local conservation projects.

I believe there is no profession that can transform lives as effectively as good teaching, or, as I prefer to call it, ‘magic-weaving’. I also believe that no education system can exceed the quality of its teachers.

Modern phonics is about explaining the history of English and how our spelling became the way it is, that there is a system – even though sometimes it seems like madness. We can read and write more successfully if we understand how the spelling system works and that it is based on phonics.

New research from the University of Auckland has shown that pupils in kura kaupapa Māori-language immersion schools who have English introduced to their lessons gain a better grasp of both languages.

Fundraising - it’s the gritty reality of education today, plugging the gap between state funding and the cost of running a well-resourced school. It also requires a huge outlay of time and energy. How can schools run effective fundraising campaigns that don’t suck the life out of staff and volunteers?

Avondale College has won every place on the team to represent New Zealand at next month's Microsoft Office Specialist World Championships in California. More than 40 schools in New Zealand competed to qualify, and students from Avondale College were top in every category.