In 1983’s classic film War Games, computer-whiz Matthew Broderick hacked into Pentagon supercomputer WOPR - almost starting World War 3. WOPR had been programmed for war gaming. Read more
An IRD report on effective rates of tax attracted much public attention last week. It was launched by the Minister of Revenue, David Parker. Read more
This week’s revelation that the Government has spent over $80m in rebates to Tesla owners should cause outrage. And not simply because subsidising the well-off into new cars fails to pass the sniff test. Read more
The parlous state of new Zealand’s school education system is common knowledge, in part thanks to the Herald’s recent Making the Grade series. Our poor results in literacy featured prominently. Read more
Imagine you’re the CEO of a major company. One of your advisors comes running to you. Read more
Learning is a central pursuit of the education system. It is essential that educators understand key elements of the science of human learning and how to apply them in the classroom. Read more
Hate speech and misinformation are both real and undesirable. But trying to curb them through criminal law risks undermining democracy. Read more
Everyone who contributes to traffic congestion already pays for it in about the worst way possible: through their time, and through excess wear and tear on – and emissions from – vehicles idling in stop-and-go traffic. Shifting to congestion charging would help ensure freer-flowing traffic. Read more
Annual inflation has fallen from 7.2% in the fourth quarter of 2022 to 6.7% in the first quarter of 2023. On the surface, this is good news. Read more
Once upon a time, in a picturesque village nestled among green rolling hills under a long white cloud, there was a popular pub called The Nosy Parker. It was notorious for its silent dramas, where opinions and conflicts were expertly swept under the carpet. Read more
Yesterday, the New Zealand Initiative launched a new report. Save Our Schools makes wide-ranging recommendations to rescue our failing school system. Read more
This manifesto draws on the body of research compiled at The New Zealand Initiative over the past decade to bring together a coherent plan to improve our education system, and to restore it to a place of international pre-eminence. New Zealand’s once world-leading school education system is in a state of deep malaise. Read more
I used to think that the future of work consisted of people talking about the future of work, and then I discovered ChatGPT. Many readers will be familiar with it. Read more
Wellington (Thursday, 27 April 2023) – A comprehensive report authored by Dr Michael Johnston offers a detailed analysis of the current challenges facing New Zealand’s educational infrastructure. Save our Schools: Solutions for New Zealand’s education crisis outlines a series of innovative proposals for reforming and revitalising New Zealand's education system, including curriculum, assessment and qualification systems, initial teacher education, teacher career structure, teacher supply, systems monitoring, and information provision to parents. Read more
Webinar: A Turning Point for New Zealand’s Education System Join us for a webinar as we launch “Save Our Schools: Solutions for New Zealand's Education Crisis.” Our webinar, and our publication, come at a critical moment. New Zealand faces the choice between reform and decline in our education system. Read more