Class Divides: Streaming in our schools
Many readers will remember being in streamed classes at school. Perhaps you were in a top English class but a lower maths class. Read more
24 November, 2023
Yes, Minister. It’s Utopia.
One of my grad school professors recommended Yes, Minister for better understanding the British public service. The series was superb. Read more
Dr Eric Crampton
24 November, 2023
Real work begins for the Government
Real work begins for the new Government Whatever way you look at it, 2023 has been a long slog for the centre-right parties now trying to seal a coalition deal. The election campaign was unusually long. Read more
Roger Partridge
23 November, 2023
Podcast: Class divides? The impact of classroom streaming
Dr Michael Johnston and Ben Macintyre talk about the impact of classroom streaming in NZ, which is the subject of their new research report. It is a topic of debate in NZ, with calls for the practice to be banned by 2030. Read more
Dr Michael Johnston
22 November, 2023
Newstalk ZB mentions our new education report
Our latest education report Class Divides?: The impact of streaming on educational achievement and equality was featured in Newstalk ZB's morning news segment across Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Listen below. Read more
21 November, 2023
How Luxon can drag NZ out of mediocrity
Everyone has a story: where they come from, what they believe in, what they strive for. Such self-mythologies can have powerful effects when they are based on positive values. Read more
Dr Oliver Hartwich
21 November, 2023
Class Divides?: The impact of streaming on educational achievement and equality
Classroom streaming – the separation of students into classes based on their prior attainment – is currently a topic of debate in New Zealand. Some commentators have called for the practice to be banned. Read more
Dr Michael Johnston
21 November, 2023
Drilling down into limitless clean energy
The same supervolcano that provides one of the country’s bigger sources of catastrophic risk could well prove part of the answer to one of the country’s bigger problems on the path to 2050. It also helps to illustrate one of the problems in New Zealand’s approach to planning for net zero. Read more
Dr Eric Crampton
21 November, 2023
Media Release: Class Divides? The impact of streaming on educational achievement and equality
Wellington (Monday, 20 November 2023) – There have been calls to ban streaming in New Zealand schools. Streaming is the practice of separating students into different classes based on their prior learning. Read more
Dr Michael Johnston
20 November, 2023
Dr Michael Johnston mentioned by Newstalk ZB on modern learning environments
Newstalk ZB mentions Dr Michael Johnston regarding his inquiries to the Ministry of Education about basic information about modern learning environments. Listen below. Read more
20 November, 2023
Eliminating human error
When it comes to the annual NCEA exam round, no news is good news. News about exams almost always signals that something has gone wrong. Read more
Dr Michael Johnston
17 November, 2023
Opposition for a four-year term?
The election has come and gone. While Wellington sits in stasis awaiting Winston’s next press scrum, New Zealanders might be forgiven for feeling that we’ve only recently been here before. Read more
17 November, 2023
Reform or transform?
We reserved this space in today’s newsletter to congratulate the new Government on taking office. If we have to wait another week or two, then so be it. Read more
Dr Oliver Hartwich
17 November, 2023
Podcast: How can we improve Initial Teacher Education?
Dr Michael Johnston talks to Glenn Fahey, who is the Director of the Education program at The Centre for Independent Studies based in Australia. They discuss the problems of Teacher Education in both NZ and Australia and the differing solutions they both came up with, which highlights the differences in both countries' systems. To listen to our latest podcasts, please subscribe to The New Zealand Initiative podcast on iTunes, Spotify or The Podcast App. Read more
Dr Michael Johnston
16 November, 2023
Underperforming in education harms national income
The incoming Government needs to make improving education a major priority. Achieving that will take decisive action, and many years of effort. Read more
Dr Bryce Wilkinson ONZM
16 November, 2023