Newstalk ZB: John MacDonald discusses NCEA report citing Dr Michael Johnston

On his show on Newstalk ZB, John MacDonald discussed the New Zealand Qualifications Authority's report on NCEA's limitations in preparing students for career pathways, specifically highlighting the system's over-emphasis on university education. He referenced Dr Michael Johnston's research that 44% of school leavers aren't enrolled in tertiary education and only 6% end up in work-based training. Read more

John MacDonald
Newstalk ZB
1 August, 2025

The Platform: Dr James Kierstead on the erosion of free speech

Dr James Kierstead talked to Michael Laws on The Platform about the decline of academic freedom in New Zealand universities. Drawing from his report "Unpopular Opinions", Dr Kierstead highlighted numerous instances of free speech suppression, arguing that university managers have been instrumental in deep-platforming speakers and that legislative intervention is necessary to protect freedom of expression on campuses. Read more

Dr James Kierstead
Michael Laws
The Platform
25 July, 2025

Newstalk ZB: Dr Michael Johnston on NCEA

Dr Michael Johnston talked to Heather Du Plessis-Allan on Newstalk ZB about the potential changes to the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA). Dr Johnston argued that NCEA has failed to deliver on its promise after 20 years and suggested creating a new assessment system with one result per subject, incorporating a time-limited exam and other assessments based on a knowledge-rich curriculum. Read more

Dr Michael Johnston
Heather Du Plessis-Allan
Newstalk ZB
21 July, 2025

Dr James Kierstead presents to the Education and Workforce Select Committee on the Education and Training Amendment Bill (No.2)

Dr James Kierstead presented to the Education and Workforce Select Committee on the Education and Training Amendment Bill (No.2). He spoke about academic freedom, presenting findings from the New Zealand Initiative's 50,000-word report "Unpopular Opinions, Academic Freedom in New Zealand". Read more

Dr James Kierstead
11 July, 2025

Dr Eric Crampton and Dr Bryce Wilkinson's submission on the Regulatory Standards Bill | Finance and Expenditure Committee

Dr Eric Crampton and Dr Bryce Wilkinson presented a submission to the Finance and Expenditure Committee on day four of hearings into the Regulatory Standards Bill, supporting the legislation while proposing nine recommendations to improve regulatory accountability and transparency. The submission emphasised the bill's potential to provide greater scrutiny of regulations, address economic challenges like housing affordability and productivity, and create a mechanism for Parliament to better understand the implications of proposed legislation. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton
Dr Bryce Wilkinson ONZM
10 July, 2025

RNZ - Nine to Noon: Prof Barbara Oakley on AI, memory, and the future of learning

Dr Barbara Oakley talked to Kathryn Ryan on RNZ's Nine to Noon about the critical importance of memory, learning, and cognitive development in an era of artificial intelligence. She discussed her research on declining IQ scores, the challenges of modern educational approaches, and how students can effectively use digital tools while maintaining core cognitive skills. Read more

Professor Barbara Oakley
"McGraw Prize recipient (the 'Nobel Prize' of education), New York Times bestselling author, and creator of the world's largest Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) with over 4 million students. "
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Kathryn Ryan
RNZ - Nine to Noon
8 July, 2025

The Platform: Dr Michael Johnston on treaty clause politics in education

Dr Michael Johnston talked to Sean Plunket on The Platform about the controversial treaty clause in education legislation. Dr Johnston defended Education Minister Erica Stanford's approach, arguing that her retention of the treaty clause is a tactical political move while prioritising educational achievement, and suggesting that removing the clause would unnecessarily create additional conflict in the education sector. Read more

Dr Michael Johnston
Sean Plunket
The Platform
4 July, 2025

Webinar video: Smart Support for Councillors: AI Tools for Local Leaders

Local democracy in New Zealand is facing a troubling imbalance: mostly part-time councillors must process complex information prepared by full-time professional staff, often receiving hundreds of pages just days before critical votes. Could AI help rebalance this information asymmetry and strengthen democratic oversight? Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich
Tim Brown
Webinar video
12 June, 2025

Newstalk ZB: Nick Clark's insights on AI in local government

Nick Clark was mentioned on Newstalk ZB's news segment discussing his latest research on AI's potential for local government. The segment highlighted Clark's insights on how AI could assist councillors by helping them analyse reports, identify key points, and flag inconsistencies, while emphasising that the technology would enhance rather than replace human judgement. Read more

Newstalk ZB
12 June, 2025
john macdonald square

Newstalk ZB: John MacDonald discusses Dr Michael Johnston's report on modern learning environments

John MacDonald discussed Dr Michael Johnston's report on Newstalk ZB, revisiting The New Zealand Initiative's research on modern learning environments. Dr Johnston's report, originally published in 2022, exposed the Ministry of Education's practice of mandating large open-plan classrooms without conducting proper evaluations of their educational effectiveness. Read more

Dr Michael Johnston
John MacDonald
Newstalk ZB
6 June, 2025
Heather du Plessis-Allan talentimage 880x495 square

Newstalk ZB: Dr Oliver Hartwich warns of Trump's trade turmoil

Dr Oliver Hartwich talked to Heather Du Plessis-Allan on Newstalk ZB about the potential global economic impact of Donald Trump's tariffs. Dr Hartwich highlighted that these tariffs could destabilise global trade for decades, with businesses struggling to plan due to the unpredictable nature of trade policies. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich
Heather Du Plessis-Allan
Newstalk ZB
4 June, 2025

Quadcast: Dr Oliver Hartwich on the origins of housing policy's socialist roots

Dr Oliver Hartwich talked to Nick Cater on Quadcast about the enduring influence of 1940s socialist planning on housing markets in Australia, New Zealand, and the UK. Drawing on two decades of research, Dr Hartwich discussed how post-war socialist urban planning ideologies have created persistent housing affordability challenges, while highlighting recent reforms in New Zealand that aim to liberalise planning systems and strengthen property rights. Read more

Dr Oliver Hartwich
Nick Cater
Quadcast
30 May, 2025

Press Statement: The New Zealand Initiative supports resource management reform package as important interim step

Wellington (Thursday, 29 May 2025) - The Government's announcement of sweeping reforms to national direction under the Resource Management Act represents an important interim step toward fixing New Zealand's broken planning system. The reforms include proposed amendments to a suite of existing national direction instruments and several new instruments across three key areas: infrastructure and development, primary sector regulation, and freshwater management. Read more

Press Statement
29 May, 2025
NewstalkZB Mike Hosking square

Newstalk ZB: Dr Eric Crampton on breaking down supermarket market barriers

Dr Eric Crampton talked to Mike Hosking on Newstalk ZB about The New Zealand Initiative's blueprint for addressing supermarket competition in New Zealand. The Initiative proposes a five-year fast-track planning framework to enable new international grocery retailers to enter the market, addressing regulatory barriers that currently make it challenging for new supermarket operators to establish themselves. Read more

Dr Eric Crampton
Mike Hosking
Newstalk ZB
29 May, 2025

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