David Farrar: Two good schools, but not an argument against choice

The Herald reports:

A stoush has erupted between North Shore sister schools after a surprise bid by the junior high to cater for older students blindsided its senior counterpart, which says it is “disappointed” by the move.

The proposal could reshape the long-standing two-school model between Albany Senior High School and Albany Junior High School, with the Ministry of Education now considering an application.

Corey Smith: School Choice Surges Despite Crusade by Teachers Unions

A recent survey suggests more than half of American adults with children attending public schools would choose a private one if vouchers were available to cover the tuition. Rasmussen Reports surveyed 1,289 adults nationwide and found that only 32% would not take advantage of vouchers. As of July 2025, 23 such programs are offered throughout 15 states, according to EdChoice, a nonprofit dedicated to advancing educational freedom.

Kevin Donnelly from Australia: Why we should embrace school autonomy

With schools returning this week, the usual debates have already started about the respective merits of government and non-government schools and the best way to make Australian students more competitive given unsatisfactory results in international literacy and numeracy tests. But equally if not more important is the fact that over the next 12 months the Federal Government plans to review the roles and responsibilities of the Commonwealth, states and territories when it comes to managing schools.

As noted in Issues Paper 4 - Roles and Responsibilities in Education, released just before Christmas, the hope is to identify the best way to balance accountability, subsidiarity, equity, efficiency, effectiveness and fiscal sustainability across Australia's education systems and schools.