Nelson Mandela and charter schools – what’s the connection in my head? I have been thinking about how uncomfortable the introduction of charter schools makes me feel and I could not work out why. Then...
National Standards is in the news again. Claims by the Prime Minister about the data are as ropey as the data itself, states the President of the New Zealand Principals’ Federation, Philip Harding.This...
We live in an information-rich age but do we communicate it well? When was the last time you attended a really snappy, efficient meeting where information was exchanged with clarity and succinctness?...
Talk abounds about the problem of children in poverty – hands are wrung, blame is cast, and the resulting cost escalates exponentially. But does the Government’s response to hungry kids in schools show...
The budget didn’t do it. How long do we need to wait before this Government supports schools with their hungry children?There are thousands of children who go to school without breakfast or lunch. It’s...
Kids from higher socio-economic backgrounds perform better in school, on average, than kids from poor families. They have, on average, better achievement results, higher participation in...
If I had a dollar, or maybe ten, for every time I’ve heard an English teacher say, “Spelling doesn’t matter, just get the ideas down,” or “Don’t worry about spelling…” I would be wealthy enough to...
Make no mistake, I'm an advocate of life-long learning but I have a grave concern about something that affects all of us. If you listen carefully you may hear the sound of it. What is it? It’s the...
