Low-decile schools are often viewed as being of lower quality by parents and are disproportionately categorised by ERO in the underperforming category. Read more
How do you rate a secondary school's performance? For many parents the decile rating becomes the default measure. Read more
School evaluation is an essential component of the education system. Identifying high-performing and underperforming schools is vital for building an evidence base for what works to improve education outcomes for students. However, the task of evaluating schools objectively and without bias is extremely complicated. Read more
“Look in the mirror long enough and monsters will come out of it,” says an old wives’ tale. Read more
When Alice tried to recite one of her lessons while down the rabbit-hole in Wonderland, she thought only a few words had come out wrong. The Caterpillar corrected her bluntly: “It is wrong from beginning to end.” Read more
Imagine you went to your GP and received an unpleasant diagnosis. Would you want your doctor to panic in front of you, speculate that your disease might be terminal and prescribe a strong medicine? Or would you prefer your practitioner to calmly explain what she is doing and reassure you that her tried-and-tested treatment will work? Read more
Dr Eric Crampton talks to Radio New Zealand, The Panel about a Universal Basic Income (UBI) and whether it would work in New Zealand. Read more
As Germany heads towards an economic slowdown, and in fact may already be in recession, calls for deficit spending and fiscal stimulus are getting louder – calls for the federal government to use the opportunity of negative interest rates to borrow and invest in infrastructure. Read more
The prospect of a new Taika Waititi movie is usually a reason for joyful anticipation. However, watching the trailer of Jojo Rabbit and reading the first reviews left me appalled. Read more
Everyone has their guilty pleasures. For many people that guilty pleasure is a cheesy melodramatic soap opera. Read more
Monday saw Wellington’s Lambton Quay come alive with a joyful parade celebrating Māori Language Week. Read more
In 1936, the father of Keynesian economics, John Maynard Keynes, used the term ‘animal spirits’ to refer to the fluctuating human emotions that can drive economic decisions in stressful times. Read more
A new report has found that New Zealand spends 5.5% of our national income on schooling - the seventh highest in the OECD. Read more
Let’s say you’ve bought non-refundable tickets for a movie, and then hear scathing reviews. It’s better to tear up the tickets and make other plans for the evening rather than bloody-mindedly watch the film just because you’ve already paid to go. Read more
Bipartisan politics is a rare beast in New Zealand nowadays. It is even harder to spot when political parties are shy to sponsor necessary policy changes that might arouse public backlash at first. Read more
