Opinions

Like many others I too have had a bit of a holiday. Well, more of a change of routine.

It’s a disconcerting thing, reading the newspapers these days. Often during the week it is a quick scan of the morning paper, a quick go at the crossword and then off to work. The morning paper is given its serious attention in the evening.

An opinion piece by Stuart Middleton founder of EDTalkNZ
Now that the “alliance of education sector groups” formed to fight “government cut-backs in school staffing” appears to be out of a job, I suggest that they stay together and tackle some of the other big issues. This “unprecedented meeting of six school unions” as it was described would bring together a strength usually only seen in New Zealand when such “coalitions of convenience” are formed – and that is not very often.

By Stuart Middleton, founder of EDTalkNZ

I got my first job when I was about eight years old when my brother and I, during the school holidays, worked for our Uncle in his grocery shop. We got ten shillings a week, had our own aprons and generally did useful things such as sweep the floor, make up bags of flour, help get the orders together and subsequently take turns in going with Uncle Les in his quaint little van to do the deliveries.

It is all a little surreal. I am up in Samoa for a couple of days finishing a task for the National University of Samoa and it happens again! The minute I leave New Zealand controversy breaks out.

by Eric Sheninger

Education is currently at a crossroads as traditional methods and tools are changing as a result of advances in technology and learning theory. We are beginning to see some schools across the country take the lead in merging sound pedagogy with the effective integration of technology. These schools and educators, whether they realise it or not, are not only enhancing the teaching and learning process, but they are also providing their learners with essential skill sets pivotal for success in today’s society. These skill sets include critical thinking/problem solving, media literacy, collaboration, creativity, technological proficiency, and global awareness. The ultimate result with this shift has been increases in engagement as well as a sense of relevancy and meaning amongst learners, all of which are foundations for improving achievement.

The education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa says smaller class sizes could provide a solution to what appears to be a teacher oversupply situation.

An opinion piece by Stuart Middleton

For some time I have listed the level of truancy in New Zealand schools as being 30,000 students truanting every day. I knew this to be true even though such a revelation would be often greeted with incredulity. But it is official now!

By Dr Sarah Farquhar

It is not all gloom and doom in the early childhood education (ECE) sector as many of the news stories and opposition politics keep suggesting it is. The reality is, from a business perspective, the sector has managed the funding cutbacks and is doing okay. What is not spoken about, however, are the possible flow-on effects on children and the quality of care and education they get.   

While the Government’s Ultrafast Broadband initiative has the potential to revolutionise education, school managers need to be aware that it also comes with some very real risks.

By Kelvin Hussey, General Manager of CallPlus

We spend 10 times as much putting a young person through ‘crime school’ than high school. Dr JOHN LANGLEY asks why

In 2002 the NCEA was introduced as a qualification for New Zealand secondary school students. Now, after ten years of debate, contention, intense scrutiny, development and improvement, the qualification is firmly embedded within our education system. What a pity it is then that so many people outside of the school sector have a poor understanding of even the most rudimentary workings of NCEA.

By Larry Forbes, a School governance specialist

The impressive levels of acceptance and openness that NZ’ers have demonstrated in welcoming Rugby World Cup participants and fans to NZ, should not be overly surprising to any of us who are involved in education.

Opinion piece By Pat Lynch. CEO of the NZ Catholic Education Office

Who would have thought that 2011 would be such a rocky year for the world? Yet this is exactly how it is turning out.

The Arab world’s awakening; the continued aftershocks of the Great Recession; civil disorder in some European countries and fractured politics in various democracies are all illustrations that humanity is on a journey as it seeks better prospects for itself.

The editor of Eduvac needs to shout (excuse the pun...you’ll get why in a sec) the staff at Eduvac a fairly solid round of drinks.

NZQA is confident that its assessment of NCEA is credible and robust and that the increased agreement rates between teachers and moderators reflect credible and robust practices.

We have some very serious issues in regard to your front page item Journalist claims NCEA ‘fudging’ as corrupt in Issue #841, 20th June 2011.

 Teachers may be struggling to get the public behind their cause, says communication expert, Niki Gunning, over the latest strike actions.

At a time when many people in business are facing cutbacks, pay freezes and increasing hours to make ends meet, there may be little sympathy with teachers’ latest attempts for a wage rise.

An opinion piece written by Pat Lynch, CEO, NZ Catholic Education Office

The last two years have witnessed crisis leadership at work in most countries of the world as political and economic leaders have sought to mitigate the worst effects of the ‘great recession’ on their populations.

The extra airport security measures that are being phased in following the Christmas Day scare over the skies of Detroit City, along with the daily stream of reported violence in an increasing range of countries, heighten the awareness of the need to work towards an enduring solution to all international violence.

There is widespread concern about the large number of students who are under achieving in education and leaving school without suitable qualifications for tertiary study or employment.