Our politicians must learn what actually makes a difference in education

By Danielle van Dalen

I can clearly remember my favourite teacher. He was a jovial and portly history teacher, who would get incredibly excited…

Supporting the village raising our children

By Danielle van Dalen

An African proverb claims that “it takes a village to raise a child.” Labour’s School Leavers’ Toolkit Policy seems an…

Death to deciles

By Kieran Madden

The Government is about to drive school deciles out of town. Good riddance. What will replace the much-maligned decile system?…

The future is not (only) digital

By Kieran Madden

“The Fourth Industrial Revolution” is upon us—the exponential rise in technology that is set to disrupt every aspect of our…

‘Cash for class’ a bankrupt idea

By Guest Author

According to PISA, 42% of New Zealand students are skipping school at least once every two weeks. Why are kids…

“Beautiful as heaven, lonely as hell”

By Julian Wood

I have heard friends of mine visiting New Zealand describe it as “beautiful as heaven, and lonely as hell.” If…

Sir John Graham Lecture 2016 | Achieving Change

Using evidence to empower educators and help students succeed Every parent, teacher, principal, policy expert, and education leader wants an…

Free tertiary policy lacks precision

By Julian Wood

I never knew the “glory days” of tertiary education where everything was free. After high school I was ushered into…

Social skills to pay the bills

By Kieran Madden

Modern workplaces are like preschool. Our schools and homes should be too. At preschool “children move from art projects to…

Is education the great equaliser?

By Kieran Madden

Last week, New Zealand got a glowing report card from the OECD for our economic performance and the policies set…

What’s happened to Finland’s schools?

By Jane Silloway Smith

Spend any time with an education reformer and you’re likely to hear something about Finland. This Scandinavian country of 5.5…

Back to school

By Jane Silloway Smith

Uniforms are washed and ready to wear; iPads are fully charged; and backpacks are laden with fresh stationary supplies –…

School Leadership: Our quick explainer

Quality leadership can help improve student outcomes. It is especially important in shaping a school’s climate, classroom conditions and teachers’…

Research Note: Anchoring the Abstract – what good school leadership looks like

By Luke Fenwick

What is the “magic” of great school leaders, and how do we replicate it? What does it look like when…

Policy Paper: Joining Forces – nine ways to improve leadership in New Zealand schools

By Luke Fenwick

What is the “magic” of great school leaders, and how do we replicate it? What does it look like when…

A look at Labour’s education plan

Labour leader David Cunliffe pulled the covers off Labour’s shiny new education policy at the recent Labour Party Congress. With…

What’s happening with National’s school leadership policy?

Remember how the National Party announced a $359 million School Leadership policy in January this year? Earlier this month we…

Game Changers – why principals matter

Education is important. You may think of learning as a passport to opportunity. You may see it as a source…

Game Changers | On leading and learning

Perspectives from Iva Ropati, Viviane Robinson and Tim O’Connor on the non-negotiables of leading kids to success in school. As…

Think again

I caught myself last week saying, “you learn something new every day.”  I try to avoid using clichés that can…