Latest from Social Issues

Closing the gaps: The ethnic job divide

New Zealand is still wasting its "demographic dividend" of young Maori and Pacific people reaching working age.

Closing gaps favour young

Gaps between New Zealand's main ethnic groups are closing for our youngest citizens - but remain deeply entrenched on many indicators for older children and adults.

Struggling mum has high hopes

Yvonne Costar is used to seeing Maori families around her battling on struggle street.

Brown's ex-lover slams net bullies

The woman who had an affair with Auckland Mayor Len Brown has spoken in support of cyber-bullying laws and that she was being stalked on social media.

Schools play catch up for lost kids

Schools are under pressure to cope with the catch-up needed for the estimated 73,500 children who miss school each day.

Nia Glassie's mum has parole revoked

The mother of tortured Rotorua three-year-old Nia Glassie has had her parole revoked by the Parole Board.

Peter Lyons: Market society breeding pushy parents

Some parents have become obsessed about giving their offspring the added edge, writes Peter Lyons. Choice of school often dominates dinner party conversations.

Brian Rudman: Cash needed to grease wheels of democracy

Two of the Cunliffe donors have had their money refunded to preserve their anonymity - and who could blame them, writes Brian Rudman. For the small amounts, who needs the hassle.

Troy McEwan: How to tell a troll from a stalker

Online abuse can range from one-off racist, sexist or otherwise distasteful comments to threats of rape and violence and sustained campaigns of harassment, writes Troy McEwan.

Call for united plan on abuse

A specialist scheme to identify high-risk violent spouses needs a consistent national approach, says a report into fatal domestic abuse.

School to work with student's family

The school that excluded an Asperger's student after a row with a teacher says the decision to remove the boy was not taken lightly, but it'll work with his family.

Christopher Scanlon: Class easier to see from the outside

One definition of a bogan is someone who fails to conform to middle-class standards of taste, dietary habits, leisure activities, styles of dress and speaking, writes Christopher Scanlon.

Hope high to get boy back into school

The family of an Asperger's child who was excluded from his high school after a dispute with a teacher hope he will be able to return to the school.

What's gone wrong at school

In the second of our three-part education series we investigate what's gone wrong - and how more time with better-trained teachers could help our kids lead the world again.

Paul Little: Stupidity oils wheels of society

The brief of this column is to write about events that have been in the news during the week.

Eric Watson: Let's be proud of our passion

We may not have beaten the Cowboys when it mattered but our economy is in a stronger position than that of our Aussie mates, writes Eric Watson.