What happens to your completed assignments and test papers once your university has finished with them? Are they supposed to be returned to you or shredded? Some from the NZQA-approved Auckland Wise Institute were left in boxes on the footpath recently. Assessment papers, all dated in 2010 and packed in three boxes, sat on the [...]

Two thousand Otara children had a free breakfast yesterday, in a televised promotion for the Mana Party’s $100 million food-in-schools proposal. Musicians, TV personalities and the crew of Maori Television’s Pukana programme were at the breakfast - a follow-up to Mana’s annual meeting in Tokoroa at the weekend. Labour, Green, Maori Party, New Zealand First and independent MPs are supporting [...]

The Mental Health Foundation’s updated language guidelines aim to reduce the stigma of mental illness by removing some of the less helpful terms used to describe it. The guidelines have evolved over a number of years and are intended as a resource for journalists. According to the guidelines, people should be described as “experiencing” depression [...]

The Ministry of Education has responded to criticism from teachers at St Mary’s College over the ministry’s handling of the Novopay debacle. Last month teachers at the Auckland girls school told Te Waha Nui they were fed up with the dysfunctional Novopay payroll system and the ministry’s belated response to problems stemming from it. The [...]

While public teachers continue to oppose the Government’s charter schools trial, a conservative lobby group says for-profit schools could benefit New Zealand’s most disadvantaged children. The Post Primary Teachers Association (PPTA), which represents most secondary school teachers, says the free market has no role in the provision of compulsory public education. But the Maxim Institute [...]

An honorary doctorate was awarded to Thailand’s first female prime minister by AUT University last night. Elected in 2011, Yingluck Shinawatra was bestowed the award, which recognises her significant international contributions as well as the fact that she is the country’s first woman to lead the Thai Government. Tony Lynch, New Zealand’s ambassador to Thailand, [...]

Traditional teaching methods are no longer working for today’s students, according to an e-learning expert. David Kinane, an e-learning consultant with more than 10 years’ experience, says a lack of student interest in education is a growing problem. However, it is not because students do not want to learn but because of how they are [...]

Two musical sisters are giving Auckland kids a chance to embrace their individuality and build confidence through song and dance. Jasmine and Dani Plows, 20 and 19 respectively, founded Auckland Glee in March 2012, as a performing-arts club based closely on the popular TV show Glee. Members of the club, aged between 11 and 18, [...]

St Mary’s College teachers say they have been heavily impacted by problems stemming from the Novopay payroll system. The beleaguered school payroll service sparked protest from teachers around the country last week. Heading the list of complaints has been the payroll system’s failure to pay staff in full, on time, or indeed, at all. For [...]