The traditional model of the classroom as the primary teaching environment is quickly becoming anachronistic. The teaching method of “chalk and talk” that I grew up with, has been supplanted by more innovative and technological savvy methods. These require a rethink of the way we build and interact with the physical environment of a school. […]

Read more "Outside the Box: The need for Innovative Learning Environments"

Net migration is fueling a population boom in New Zealand, with 97,300 new arrivals in the first six months of 2016 alone (Rutherford, 2016). The resulting influx of immigrants requires a fundamental rethink of how we approach education in this country, especially in the larger cities. As we do this, we need to be aware […]

Read more "Strangers in a strange land: Immigrant and refugee education in New Zealand"

Imagine that are running in a hundred-meter dash. As you line up against your fellow racers, you notice that your start line is ten meters behind everyone else. It’s reasonable to feel that this situation is unfair, and to feel discouraged about your chances for success regardless of how fast a runner you are. The […]

Read more "Levelling the playing field: Maori and Pasifika students as priority learners"

Educational policy is the bellwether of overall government social policy in New Zealand. Despite the appearance of independence, it is inextricably linked to the whim of political and business decision makers. As the economist, Paul Samuelson stated, “the very name of my subject, economics, suggests economizing or maximizing but political economy has seen us go […]

Read more "School Choice vs. No Choice"

The Secondary school environment is an incubator for social construction. It both shapes, and is shaped, by present and future societal expectations. Francis Xavier once said, “give us the boy, and we’ll make the man” and it was adopted as the motto of Jesuit educators. Educational institutions play a formative role in an individual’s notion […]

Read more "Let’s talk about sex: gender and sexual identity in secondary schools"

There is a new language and skill set for the 21st century. Proficiency in English, mathematics, science as well as all the other traditional subjects, is all for naught without at least a modicum of understanding of this new language. We have entered a digital era that requires a digital literacy. Like any other form […]

Read more "“The medium is the message”: Education in the age of digital literacy"