John Gerritsen

Schools reopen for the third term today and principals are worried staff shortages and winter illnesses will be every bit as bad as last term.

They warn some teachers and students were at breaking… Audio

The Detail podcast brings you the issues behind the news every weekday. Here's what we covered this week.  Audio

On January 1, Te Pūkenga will take over the country's 16 polytechnics and industry training organisations. Can a mega-merger bring the sector financial security? Audio

A leading Māori teacher wants an overhaul of school zoning rules so Māori children can go to any school within the rohe of their iwi or hapū.

He says the Education Ministry needs to prioritise mana… Audio

Many principals are worried their schools will lose teachers next year because so many students have gone missing from their rolls during the pandemic.

They are sure many will return later in the… Audio

Universities and others are hoping the lucrative foreign student market will bounce back once visa processing at Immigration New Zealand has resumed.

Victoria University Deputy Vice-Chancellor Blair… Audio

Teachers at early childhood centres are speaking out about a toxic culture of bullying saying they've been sworn at and abused in front of children and some have felt suicidal.

Employment advocates… Audio

Year ten students are trialling new high-stakes tests of maths, writing and reading in schools this week.

From 2024, teenagers must pass all three online tests to get any level of the NCEA school… Audio

Schools in Northland and Auckland are tackling truancy by hiring people to knock on doors and talk directly to families.

Principals say they want to support parents and caregivers to get their… Audio

The College of GPs warns that sick workers needing medical certificates are adding to the pressure on already stretched general practices.

It said GPs had enough to do with winter illnesses and… Audio

GPs are warning that requests for medical certificates from sick workers and students are adding to the strain on general practices.

The Royal New Zealand College of GPs said schools and businesses… Audio

Secondary school principals say it's time to dump the OECD's prestigious PISA tests in reading, science and maths.

The Education Ministry has barely managed to scrape together enough schools to do… Audio

Teachers have racked up nearly twice as many sick days as normal, and at some schools it is breaking the bank.

Principals warn their budgets for relief teachers are overspent by thousands of dollars… Audio

A surge of winter illnesses and Covid-19 among teachers is disrupting learning at schools around the country.

Some are rostering particular year levels home or asking families to keep children away… Audio

Principals and teachers warn children's behaviour and achievement is worse because of the pandemic.

They say some young people have gaps in their learning and some have missed basic routines and… Audio

Some teachers are feeling angry and unsafe as Covid-19 spreads among their classrooms.

They've got in touch to share their experiences following our story about high rates of Covid among school… Audio

Concerns are being raised about how the education system will cope as it's revealed teachers seem to be catching Covid-19 at a higher rate than the rest of the adult population.

Schools have notified… Audio

Some primary principals want a return to compulsory face mask wearing as they head into the colder months.

Schools' measures for preventing the spread of Covid-19 are being tested as some regions… Audio