More than 100,000 school students around the world are poised to scrap it out in a cyber-battle to become the world champion of language – thanks to the ingenuity of a young Kiwi entrepreneur. Educational software company Language Perfect will hold its annual world championships, touted as the largest online languages competition on the planet, [...]

Refusing to be defeated by the earthquakes that devastated Christchurch, the New Zealand School of Food and Wine has restarted its operation in Auckland. Founded by Celia Hay, NZSFW opened its first campus in Christchurch in 1995. The school recently reopened its doors at the Viaduct in downtown Auckland, fully-equipped with modern demonstration and practical [...]

It’s official. Drinking water during exams can improve your grades, says a new study presented at a psychology conference in London last week. The study of 447 students conducted by the University of East London and the University of Westminster found that bringing water with you while sitting an exam can improve your grade by [...]

Portable swimming pools are proving a big hit with schools trying to teach pupils about water safety. Primary school children around the country are learning to swim in 9.5m portable swimming pools loaned to their school for one term each year. The initiative, called Pools in Schools, is run by three Aucklanders – scientist Dr [...]

Poverty and financial stress go hand-in-hand with exams and assignments for New Zealand students, a recent report has found. Findings from this month’s Graduate Longitudinal Study Baseline Report show one in six university students can’t afford basic food, accommodation and clothing. Fifteen percent of New Zealand’s university population suffers from “absolute financial distress”, the report [...]

Young aspiring film-makers will be given the chance to develop their skills at workshops starting this weekend in Auckland. Youthtown, an organisation to help young people develop physical and creative skills, will host short film workshops on Saturdays beginning tomorrow. The workshops are aimed at 13 to 18-year-olds and will focus on improving skills that [...]

An Auckland high school is planning to use worm farms as part of a project to reduce its waste by 50 per cent before the end of the year. Western Springs College has received a $55,000 grant from the Government’s waste minimisation fund to set up six waste stations on school grounds, each with recycling [...]

Primary teachers are holding their breath hoping the Ministry of Education does not implement performance-based pay in New Zealand. Both the president of the New Zealand Principals Federation and the primary teachers’ union, the New Zealand Educational Institute, are strongly against any move to performance-based pay for teachers. Paul Drummond, from the NZFP, says performance [...]

A conservation message more than 50 years old will be brought to life through the magic of Dr Seuss at Auckland Zoo these school holidays. To coincide with the movie premiere of Dr Seuss’ The Lorax, a story about deforestation, Auckland Zoo is offering children the chance to walk the Truffula Trail. Kids will learn [...]