Latest from Education

Parents struggle to afford school iPads

Some parents are being pushed into debt as a result of increased demands to shell out for digital devices for their children's schoolwork.

Beware computer extras, students told

Parents have been warned about buying unnecessary add-ons as retailers take advantage of the requirement of many schools for students to have a laptop or tablet.

Oxford-bound teen's success bittersweet

Teenager who took a year off school to nurse gravely ill mother makes it into Oxford University. But she wasn't able tell her mother the good news.

The real cost of 'free' education: $35k

The cost of a 'free' education in NZ is $35,000 - and that's raised concerns some children won't return to school next week because their families can't afford it.

Tertiary fee hikes outstrip allowances

The rising cost of tertiary fees is reflected in the latest student loan borrowings figures released yesterday by Statistics New Zealand.

Shelley Bridgeman: For or against school uniforms?

The value of uniforms has been hotly debated since at least since I was wearing the blue tunic required by Hastings Girls' High. Wearing a uniform didn't do me any harm.

Rose Patterson: Govt silent on failing charter school

One of New Zealand's first charter schools is failing, abysmally, and the Ministry of Education must stop dodging questions, writes Rose Patterson.

Peter Lyons: Forget evil rich - flaw is in the system

A natural outcome of a market economy must be inequality of incomes. They are a necessary and desirable outcome, writes Peter Lyons.

Kieran Read: Winning ways - view from the top

There are aspects of playing rugby that are not dissimilar to coaching. I believe in leading people by making sure that I have a connection with everyone I am involved with and giving them the trust and belief to do their job well.

Jamie Whyte: Profit-seeking and preschools go together

If teachers were unpaid, they would be reluctant to do the job and, in the end, children would be worse off, writes Jamie Whyte. Yet the same goes for those who supply the capital.

Peter Lyons: If quality teachers vie for roles, education wins

If teacher performance is to be based on student assessments it is likely to be subject to numerous rorts and manipulations, writes Peter Lyons. It is also likely to narrow the focus of teaching to ensuring assessment results rather than broader learning.

Keep up with reading, kids told

Parents are being urged to encourage their children to read over the summer in light of research showing kids who forgo books while on holiday lose reading ability at alarming rates.

Fast food is bad for the brain - study

Fast food is already blamed for all sorts of health problems, from obesity to bad skin, and now a new study has found that it could actually slow down the brain.

Alan Duff: Locals make me glad to be a Kiwi

Mick Jagger strolls into a pub in Russell and the patrons, though shocked, leave him alone. Wonder if they'd be the same with our own legend, Richie McCaw?...

Peter O'Connor: Lessons to be learnt on education overhaul

The single most reliable indicator of future academic success is the number of books you have in your home when you grow up, writes Peter O'Connor.

Teacher under fire for negative remarks

A private boarding school's head of chemistry who wrote "disparaging" comments on student testimonials has been reinstated while an investigation is carried out.