Alwyn Poole: Education processes and outcomes continue to get worse under the current coalition.

A lot has been made of “significant” changes to the NZ education system under Erica Stanford. Some things have been put in place (e.g. changes to early reading, cell-phone ban). Primary school curriculum changes are being rolled-out by schools during this year. Other changes - qualifications changes, senior curriculum - still have a long-way to go and there is much division in these areas.

Damien Grant: Our universities are failing, and we have the grades to prove it

The first hint of trouble was a decade past. In a job interview for a law graduate. We hire lawyers fresh from university and throw them into the mayhem that is the judicial system with little training or oversight. Some thrive on the chaos and become great litigators while others do better in the more structured environment of a law firm.

David Farrar: Year 9 students who can’t read

Radio NZ reports:

Several respondents said their schools bankrolled literacy catch-up classes and training from the Kahui Ako scheme that gave some teachers release time for specialist work with other teachers in their school or across groups of schools.

Professor Barbara Oakley: Why students say they are learning nothing

When students across New Zealand say they are not learning anything at school, we should listen.

After nearly six months speaking with New Zealand’s schools and universities, I have witnessed firsthand how this nation has become the unwitting laboratory for one of education's most destructive experiments.

Alwyn Poole: Three Key Articles to Consider re Education in NZ

There would have been four articles but the use of taxpayer’s money to pay for teacher registration has already been posted. 

1. An interesting article re moving away from State Schools altogether.

I believe that there are a number of reasons why the Australian system now appears to be moving well ahead of NZ. You can stipulate the others but the fact that nearly 36% of students are in private schools in Australia and less than 4% in New Zealand.

This article – raises many interesting points – e.g.

Alwyn Poole: Tinetti Simply Appalling on Education

The Hipkins/Tinetti 6-year education combination has left a huge amount of NZ young people in a deep hole. The state of our literacy & numeracy for children has been well canvassed (although Tinetti tries to say 2/5 doing okay is not so bad. Hipkins just blamed National Standards – a measurement tool – not a teaching one).

Capitalist: Hold the Guilty to Account

As I write this, facebook.com is alive to the sounds of National Party MPs crowing that the ban on cellular telephones has come into force in schools; something fully supported by your favourite capitalist. In recent days they’ve been crowing about a 2030 target to get 80% of year 8 students doing the 3Rs at their age level. Once again, noble objectives that are fully supported by the man in the street.

But why is it required and why do so many National Party politicians go full retard off the reservation so often? Let me explain…

Duncan Garner: $20b a year invested in education and our kids can’t read, write or count

I have a challenge for you. It won't take long and depending on your subsequent reaction, it may be life-changing, for you and your family.

So here goes: Do you know how well your kids are doing in primary school?

Can they read, write and do maths at or even above their curriculum level?

Alwyn Poole: The PPTA do not know there are problems in NZ Education

In this article on the return of Partnership Schools in NZ the leader of the PPTA states that:

“What problem are they trying to solve? That has never been really articulated to us.”

Here are some of the problems with the NZ education system at present:

Mike Hosking: To fix our education system, we have to accept the state we are in

Off the back of the PISA results last week into maths, science, and reading, comes the OECD's disciplinary climate index.

It won't surprise you to learn we aren't doing very well in that either.

There are just four countries in the OECD where students do not report a favourable disciplinary climate. They are Finland, Canada, Australia, and —you guessed it— us. What an indictment.

Michael Johnston: A daunting task ahead

Two decades ago, a new term – ‘PISA shock’ – entered the German lexicon.

The Germans had prided themselves on a world-class education system. However, the first round of data from the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) showed that their pride had been misplaced. Public outrage at the poor results of German students set off wholesale reform of school education.

Michael Johnston: PISA Results - Why New Zealand's education system is failing

Every three years since 2000 - except during the Covid-19 pandemic - the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa) has assessed the reading skill of 15-year-olds from an ever-increasing range of countries. From 2003, mathematics was assessed as well. Science was added in 2006. The latest results released at 11pm last night are for assessments run in 2022.

Mike Hosking: We are ruining our kids with mediocrity

Several things out of the PISA results in our schools that didn’t get covered properly yesterday.

Firstly, the most eye-opening headline that sums it all up: ‘NZ records worst ever PISA international test results, amid global decline’.

Worst ever... think about that and what it tells you.

Alwyn Poole: More evidence of our education woes plus … the SOLUTIONS.

Today's education headlines:

NZ records worst ever PISA international test results, amid global decline

NZ school students' performance falling in maths and science: PISA report.

Student hunger, bad teachers revealed in latest PISA tests showing dip in NZ teens' scores.

Damien Grant: Our education system is constantly failing our students

There is a saying in the technology sector that if you are not paying for the product, then you are the product. This has been playing on my mind as I’ve been dragging the ten-year-old around private schools last week.

He will probably object to being used, once again, as a muse for my weekly column, but the challenge of being ten is that you have very few enforceable rights.

Michael Johnston: Education under the coming coalition

In a week from now, when the special votes have finally been counted, coalition negotiations will begin in earnest. National, ACT and, probably, New Zealand First will get into horse-trading over policy and Ministerial posts. Some policy areas will be difficult. One that should not pose too many obstacles, though, is education.

All three potential coalition partners agree that our school system is in a parlous state. While they differ in emphasis, many of their positions are complimentary rather than in conflict.

Mike Grimshaw: The broken system – and broken social contract – of tertiary education in New Zealand

Welcome to the online universities of New Zealand, a significant change in tertiary education that has become the new normal by default, backed up by university policies requiring lecture recordings for students. Of course, as in all bad policies, there are internal consistencies and one of the central ones arises from an idealistic belief in human nature and student behaviour and motivation.

Michael Johnston: New teachers are not ready for the classroom

Good teachers need to be many things. They must be experts in the knowledge they teach. They must be skilled in passing that knowledge on to their students. They must be able to maintain orderly classrooms. Increasingly, they must also deal with a raft of social and psychological problems that impede young people’s learning.

Michael Johnston: Empower capable Principals to lead reform

In 1989, the Lange government implemented the Tomorrow’s Schools reforms. The old Department of Education was replaced by a new agency, the – initially – much leaner Ministry of Education. Schools became self-governing.

The goals of Tomorrow’s Schools have not been achieved. Since 1989, the performance of New Zealand’s school system has deteriorated. The literacy, numeracy and disciplinary knowledge of our young people has undergone a slow but inexorable decline. Our educational inequality is amongst the worst in the OECD.

Peter Schwerdtfeger, John Raine and David Lillis: Post-modernism and the Degrading of Education in New Zealand

Education in Serious Decline

Make no mistake - New Zealand’s education system is currently in steep decline (Armstrong, 2023), and the country cannot afford another generation of young people getting a second-rate education. In this article we discuss the causes and remedies for this damaging long-term slide. 

 

The transition of twenty years ago to the NCEA schools qualification system, with its lack of rigour in the delivery of core knowledge and skills, most markedly in mathematics and the sciences, heralded a decline in education standards in New Zealand.