education

Categories under education

schools (159)
tertiary education (55)

Protests in the North and South

Written By: Zetetic - Date published: 6:57 am, July 10th, 2011 - 6 comments

Yesterday, hundreds of parents protested cuts to early childhood education on Queen St and gave Phil Goff a 60,000 signature petition to take to Wellington. 1000 people in the Octagon called on the government to consider Kiwi jobs when awarding contracts. What is wrong with the priorities of this government that puts tax cuts ahead of kids and job?

Tai Poutini finds new funding stream

Written By: notices and features - Date published: 5:10 pm, July 7th, 2011 - 4 comments

Te Tai Poutini Polytechnic is receiving an additional $750 million funding from Minister Steven Joyce after changing its name to the South Western Motorway.

The Big Push

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 10:40 am, July 5th, 2011 - 9 comments

There’s a march in Auckland on Saturday, to protest the government’s massive cuts to the Early Childhood Education sector, and proposal to end 20 hours free for 3-4 year-olds.

Rebel schools

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:15 am, July 2nd, 2011 - 63 comments

Yesterday was crunch day for schools who oppose the governments national standards, and a surprising number have made a very bold stand. But according to Tolley: “Look, it’s election year, so anything goes”…

Happy ECE cuts day

Written By: Anthony R0bins - Date published: 8:35 am, July 1st, 2011 - 17 comments

The quality of children’s ECE care clearly influences their later development, and therefore helps to shape their entire lives. It’s probably the best investment any country can make, and the Nats are taking us backwards.

Back to High School for English

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 6:20 am, June 15th, 2011 - 86 comments

My jaw dropped when I heard this listening to Question Time yesterday. Mallard: “Does he understand that real average wages go up when high-income earners get massive tax cuts-$1,000 a week, in his case-and low-income workers lose their jobs?” English: “No, I do not understand that, because it is not true.” Can’t English do simple maths?

A simple tertiary education budget

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 10:53 am, June 3rd, 2011 - 11 comments

TEU President Sandra Grey writes: When all the unders and overs are calculated, the maths for tertiary education is a lot simpler than all the commentary from the government would have us believe. For the next four years, the minister, Steven Joyce, will be putting less money into tertiary education. That is a political choice.

ECE Taskforce report

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 12:45 pm, June 2nd, 2011 - 16 comments

It’s great to have North Shore candidate Ben Clark writing for us here at The Standard. This is a Guest Post from brother and Dunedin North candidate David Clark (a dynamic duo indeed!). David writes about the just released government report on the early childhood education sector…

Choices: Tax cuts or teachers

Written By: r0b - Date published: 7:10 am, May 2nd, 2011 - 65 comments

You’re the ruling government. Which do you choose, tax cuts for 47 millionaires or salaries for 121 new teachers? It’s not a hypothetical question…

Education and wealth

Written By: r0b - Date published: 8:20 am, April 22nd, 2011 - 69 comments

Turns out the teachers have been right all along. Family wealth is the overwhelming predictor of educational outcome. That means there are no quick fixes. The best way to improve educational outcomes is to improve the incomes of the poor.

ECE costs increasing

Written By: r0b - Date published: 12:01 pm, April 21st, 2011 - 19 comments

The Nats’ attack on early childhood education (ECE) is starting to bite. As surely as night follows day, the cuts in funding for childcare centres are showing up as increased costs for parents.

Reaching out to expat Kiwis

Written By: r0b - Date published: 7:05 am, April 19th, 2011 - 61 comments

The Kea “Census” of expat Kiwis is under way. Unfortunately it coincides with government plans for a Crackdown on student loan repayments. Instead of chasing our expats for an entirely hypothetical return, we should be reaching out to them, embracing them, making them welcome back home.

Economists line up on “Robin Hood” tax

Written By: Mike Smith - Date published: 9:16 pm, April 15th, 2011 - 31 comments

1000 economists have written to the G20, about to meet in Washington, and to Bill Gates, asking for a tax on financial transactions known as a Tobin tax after its originator, or a Robin Hood tax as it is known in the US. 4 New Zealanders are among the 1000; Prue Hyman, Stefan Kesting, Peter Conway, and Petrus Simons. Good on them.

Child crime and bullying

Written By: r0b - Date published: 6:43 am, April 5th, 2011 - 41 comments

Under Key’s government we are seeing an escalation in violence committed by children. Why? TV and media violence hasn’t noticeably step-changed in the last year. More likely it is a symptom of the stress that families are under. Children are the canaries in the coal mine…

Economy

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 8:25 am, April 3rd, 2011 - 84 comments

The economy, shall we say politely, is facing some difficulties. With a National government there was no plan as to how to weather the economic storm, we just got tax cuts for the rich and an economy that just can’t get growing.

Choices, choices

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 11:32 am, April 1st, 2011 - 21 comments

In the last Budget, National cut the corporate tax rate to 28%, which costs $400 million a year and comes into effect today. It also cut $200 million a year from early childhood education and tertiary funding in the same Budget, while borrowing billions. When the government cuts public services it is because it chooses […]

Nice to have

Written By: r0b - Date published: 7:17 am, March 31st, 2011 - 116 comments

Bill English wants to cut things that are “nice to have”, like the adult education classes (that he used to praise in opposition), and keep “necessities”, like tax cuts for the already wealthy. This is the kind of economic “wisdom” that has Bill leading us into an all time record budget deficit.

Cuts! Cuts! Cuts!

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 12:42 pm, March 21st, 2011 - 42 comments

There was already going to be too little money in Budget 2011 for maintenance of public services. Now what little there was is being further slashed in the name of Christchurch. An Earthquake Levy is not an option, rather we’ll all pay through increased borrowing and 25% cuts in services like police, transport, justice and social services.

Children First

Written By: Ben Clark - Date published: 10:00 am, March 18th, 2011 - 67 comments

I was going to have my first post on the economy, but that will have to wait until the weekend as I’m all inspired after hearing Judy Bailey give a Brainwave Trust presentation this week. The incredible importance of providing the best possible start to our children in those very early years was good to have reinforced…

National continues ECE assault

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 6:35 am, March 10th, 2011 - 49 comments

National are to allow battery farming style early childhood education. From July the government will allow 75 stressed under-2 year-olds in one room, unable to form a relationship with any one teacher.

ECE – cuts bite today

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 3:33 pm, February 1st, 2011 - 25 comments

Today is the day that Anne Tolley’s $400 million dollar cut to early childhood education bites. A sector which delivers $13 value for every $1 invested is really going to hurt. Centres themselves are having different responses: 90% of centres are definitely raising fees – between $2 – $80 per week, with an average of […]

What will Key cut?

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 10:37 am, February 1st, 2011 - 27 comments

The early childhood education cuts have hit – families will face an average $20-$45 a week increase in the cost of sending a kid to kindy. And Anne Tolley is signaling more to come. But it’s not just the education of the next generation that’s for the chop as National seeks to balance the books after its tax cuts for the rich binge.

National’s Impending Swingeing Cuts

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 2:42 pm, January 26th, 2011 - 31 comments

Whilst John Key’s raising of privatisation is the first focus of his State of the Nation speech, perhaps equally as important is his intention for swingeing cuts to public services. Health and Education will have to pay higher wages from the same budget, but the likes of Police, Justice, Conservation and Social Services can expect cuts of more than 10%.

Herald: Tolley must go

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 10:59 am, January 24th, 2011 - 18 comments

Today’s Herald editorial explores Auckland Grammar’s decision to ditch NCEA in favour of the Cambridge exams and the support this elitism, which undermines the NCEA system, has received from Anne Tolley. Never shy to give helpful advice to its favoured PM, the Herald tells Key it’s time to rid himself of the incompetent Tolley.

Kids Tolley’s election year cannon-fodder

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 2:16 pm, January 23rd, 2011 - 34 comments

The international evidence that National Standards don’t work is conclusive. Only 20% of schools are ready to implement them and over 300 schools are refusing all together. What’s our Minister for Education’s response to the objections of people who have dedicated their lives to education? A declaration of war – using the kids against the teachers.

One Rule for Some

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 10:33 am, January 20th, 2011 - 45 comments

Auckland Grammar School (that most private of public schools) has decided that NCEA isn’t good enough for them and that it doesn’t meet the needs of its community. When 300+ Primary Schools said the same about National Standards Minister Tolley threatened Boards of Trustees with the sack, threatened with extra visits by ERO and a cut in funding.

Public Tertiary Education

Written By: Guest post - Date published: 12:20 pm, January 18th, 2011 - 13 comments

The Tertiary Education Union’s new National President, Sandra Grey, joins us for a guest post on the challenges facing tertiary education as the government cuts funding and institutions are ‘rationalised’ to focus on economic values alone. Tertiary education can be so much more than that.

Student freedom

Written By: r0b - Date published: 8:34 am, December 22nd, 2010 - 109 comments

National and Act are attacking student unions. The cover story is freedom of association, but it’s bollocks, freedom of association is already protected. Without the unions students will still have to pay. But they will lose the rich social and cultural heritage of the unions, lose the learning experiences that the unions provide, and lose their independence. Hey students – does that sound like a good deal to you?

National Attacks Vulnerable Children

Written By: Bunji - Date published: 7:25 am, December 14th, 2010 - 22 comments

National are consistently attacking the vulnerable in society – those who cannot fight back and complain. This is where a lot of their cuts are aimed at – those who need it most. Be it in health, education or welfare.

And in several recent health and education National cuts have hurt the most vulnerable – our children. Not just the massive ECE cuts of Tolley, but cuts hurting those at the bottom even more.

Standards don’t make the grade

Written By: Marty G - Date published: 11:30 am, December 9th, 2010 - 20 comments

Yesterday, the OECD released its annual comparison of educational achievement in different countries. This study compares half a million kids’ aptitude in reading, maths, and science. Kiwi kids come out pretty damn well: 7th in reading, 13th in maths, 8th in science. And, guess what, we beat countries with National Standards hands down.

ECE costs to skyrocket

Written By: r0b - Date published: 1:59 pm, December 1st, 2010 - 54 comments

The Nats’ stupid slash and burn approach to early childhood education (ECE) is about to hammer families. And once again Anne Tolley is in complete denial about it.