New Zealand
School truancy spike driven by Covid restrictions, principals say
Schools had told students to stay home because of Covid, so getting them back was hard.
Latest from Primary Education
Stories and analysis from The Northern Express Herald.
UK cost-of-living woes prompt push for more free school meals
Estimated 800,000 children in England living in poverty are not eligible for free meals.
Lockdown lifted at East Auckland school, police investigate reports of gunshot
Tamaki Primary School is in lockdown due to a police incident nearby.
Opinion: Once world-class, the NZ education system is now a disaster. How do we fix it?
OPINION: NZ's education system is a slow-burning disaster, says Oliver Hartwich.
Parents at war: Judge rules on which school child should attend
Separated parents at odds over primary school of choice.
'The last of the old school': Former Hikurangi School principal dies
Bruce Crawford retired from the top job at Hikurangi School last year.
Teacher funding to schools cut
Hundreds of teachers will lose their jobs as student numbers are predicted to slump.
House of Science: Hokianga holds first-ever science festival
Kits target rural schools where teachers lack confidence or resources to teach science.
'Totally appalling': Parents demand answers from school which hired rapist
The teacher aide resigned last week after his past record was revealed.
'Significant failure': School reprimanded for 'unreasonable' discipline decisions
The school says it has since taken 'full responsibility' for issues the Ombudsman raised.
'Earning half of what I should be': Teachers hope amended payroll issue is finally sorted
Some teachers were underpaid by thousands of dollars.
NZ's literacy crisis and kids unable to read: 'Teachers ask me: Why weren't we trained in this?'
Our children's reading rates are dropping - is structured literacy the answer?
My son couldn't read - now I know why: Inside NZ's falling literacy crisis
NZ used to be 'one of the most literate nations on earth'. What happened?
John MacDonald: Taking prisoners - school election changes needed
OPINION: White supremacist Philip Arps is standing for a school board.
How many air purifiers have arrived in NZ schools - and who got them?
Five thousand air cleaners were promised. How many have been delivered?
Back to school: Relief teachers 'like unicorns'
Principals looking into an empty pool of spare teachers to cover those off sick.
Chronic teacher sickness: Principal says school 'limped' to mid-year with huge Covid absences
"To have six or seven [relievers] in a day is not unusual."
Ministry 'recommends' schools enforce masks in Term 3
Schools can enforce mask wearing the way they enforce uniforms, advice says.
Poverty, family background don't explain school exclusion rates for Māori
Teacher bias and low expectations are likely to blame, one expert says.
Plea to retain teachers, despite huge absences
Mid-year roll counts show some schools are missing up to a third of their students.
Dumping deciles: What's the Equity Index and how could it affect your school?
Schools got their Equity Index numbers last week but how does it actually affect them?
'Struggling to hang on': School illness battle as winter Covid wave begins
Schools report one in five staff and students off sick as end of term approaches.
Covid, RSV, Flu: How to keep our kids safe from sickness
Paediatrician on keeping kids well while giving them back their "sense of normality".
Susan Grimsdell: Child literacy as simple as ABC
OPINION: This mother started her daughter on the path to reading with a can of marmalade.
NZ urgently needs a winter Covid action plan for schools – here's how to do it
THE CONVERSATION: An action plan for schools is urgently needed to protect children.
Truancy crisis: Fewer than 60% attend school regularly - Govt sets targets to combat startling student stat
Truancy in New Zealand has been getting steadily worse since 2015.
Mask wearing returns as winter illness hits schools
Grey Lynn School among a number of schools bringing back compulsory masking.
Confronting 'evil': Trump's call to arms at NRA convention after school shooting
"The only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun."