A seven-year old expelled from school last year has just completed his second week in a mainstream classroom. His transition to Saint Mary’s Catholic School in Putaruru has gone smoothly, says his mother Tracey Lithgow. It’s over a year since Lithgow’s son was expelled from Tokoroa’s Tainui Full Primary School for extensive behavioural issues. For Read more
The education system did me proud when I learned New Zealand history – briefly – at primary school. It never bothered again; British history was much more important; but there were always Weet-Bix cards to collect, and they told you all you’d ever need to know about the national story. We learned how lucky Maori Read more
The Labour Party says Education Minister Hekia Parata’s consideration of performance funding in schools could lead to the most radical shakeup of education in a generation. Ms Parata has revealed that she is looking to fund schools according to the progress their pupils made. Continue reading
A High Court decision that collection costs are “associated charges”could save integrated schools $3 million a year. The 330 schools charge attendance dues to cover the cost of making their properties conform to state-school building codes. The attendance dues are allowed to cover other charges associated with land and buildings, including insurance, and until 2009 it had been accepted Read more
A disagreement over the right of integrated schools to charge parents for the cost of collecting money from them is heading to court. Education officials are clamping down on charging practices at taxpayer-funded integrated schools, with at least one school told to return a bond parents have been required to pay. This coming term $4000-a-year Read more