Artificial turf made from old tyres at Michaels Avenue Reserve is worrying a neighbouring school, despite a promise by authorities they will test its environmental effects over two years. Karen Affleck, the centre manager for Michael Park School Kindergarten, said the school was concerned about the impact of the crumb-rubber infill on the kindergarten and [...]

Chinese language advocates say Mandarin is undervalued as a second language option in New Zealand schools. According to Nora Yao, director of the Confucius Institute, Prime Minister John Key may outspokenly support the uptake of Mandarin in schools, but practical support from the Government is “still pending”. The Confucius Institute is a non-profit lobby group [...]

Two of New Zealand’s most talented high school rugby teams will clash in Auckland’s oldest surviving schoolboy rivalry on Saturday. Auckland Grammar will host the 201st meeting with bitter rivals King’s College in what promises to be an entertaining match. Grammar hold a substantial lead in overall wins over the years, but the affluent Kings [...]

A significant restructuring of non-teaching staff at the University of Auckland is being “benchmarked” against leading Australian universities, says a university spokesman. In an exclusive story, TWN last week revealed the Auckland university’s plans to sack 14 senior, non-teaching staff as high as faculty directors in stage one of a significant restructure that is likely [...]

Organisers of an interactive exhibition about the Holocaust hope it will touch the heartstrings of viewers and help young people remember the significance of the Nazi genocide against Jewish people. ‘Shadows of Shoah’ portrays the personal accounts and experiences of holocaust survivors. It can be viewed at AUT University from June 11 to 28. “The project started [...]

Auckland Council say its goal is to have zero waste in the city by 2040. The goal has emerged from the super-city’s new waste management plan. Prior to the establishment of the super-city, the seven Auckland councils managed their waste independently. Now, it all comes under Auckland Council. Starting in 2015, three colour-coded bins will [...]

An Auckland student leader has condemned changes in this month’s budget for tertiary students. Auckland University Students’ Association president Daniel Haines says issues include increases in loan repayment rates, “aggressive” punishments for overseas borrowers and a focus on funding engineering. The minimum loan repayment rate has increased from 10 per cent to 12 per cent [...]

As milk is reintroduced into New Zealand schools, Amnesty International says child poverty here is worrying. A report published by human rights watchdog this week says up to 270,000 New Zealand children are living in poverty. It is a stain on the country’s human rights record, it says. The report’s findings come as no surprise, says [...]

Contradiction in children’s films today made it very difficult to see the sexism behind them, says a psychology lecturer from the Auckland University of Technology. Dr Pani Farvid said because of the second wave of feminism a lot of films would incorporate feminist ideals into their characters, but they would still maintain their “heterosexual desirability”. [...]