Stories by John Gerritsen

The government is taking the highly unusual step of ordering teachers how to teach. From 2026, teachers must use government approved methods for teaching reading, writing and maths. It's part of what… Video, Audio

In today's Focus on Politics podcast, Māori News Journalist Jamie Tahana and Education Correspondent John Gerritsen look at a suite of new initiatives being brought in to improve Māori achievement… Audio

Is New Zealand ready to cope in a global catastrophe? John Gerritsen investigates Video, Audio

Insight - The government's school donation scheme gets underway this year, but schools have been looking for ways to push its rules to the limit. John Gerritsen investigates how far they will go to… Video, Audio

Insight - The government's school donation scheme has not even started and schools are already looking for ways to push its rules to the limit. John Gerritsen investigates how far they will go to give… Video, Audio

More than 100,000 Chinese students have studied in New Zealand in the past 20 years. What impact do those graduates have on the China-New Zealand relationship and is New Zealand making the most of… Audio

 Classrooms have changed radically in the past decade to become future focused. But John Gerritsen investigates if they are equipping children well or leaving them short on essential knowledge. Video, Audio

Delays in specialist support for children with disabilities under five in the Wellington region are "ridiculous", parents and teachers say.. Audio

Nearly every aspect of the school system is under review. RNZ's Education Correspondent, John Gerritsen examines the hard questions being asked about deciles, zones and school boards. Audio

The government has ditched plans to get rid of the school decile system as it looks to distribute funding based on certain risks that affect an entire school, rather than individual students. Audio

Childcare is booming, but cracks are starting to show. John Gerritsen talks to teachers about how tight funding and corner-cutting is making some centres dangerous for children. Video, Audio

National Standards in schools are coming to an end. Our education correspondent John Gerritsen speaks to three retiring principals about what has been achieved and what has to happen. Audio

Despite efforts to improve achievement among children from disadvantaged backgrounds, there's still a gulf between the haves and have-nots. John Gerritsen spends the day with two pupils from either…

Schools in New Zealand have faced huge change since 2008. RNZ Education Correspondent John Gerritsen investigates what impact nine years of National Party policies have had on schools and the children… Audio

Want to see the future face of New Zealand? Take a look inside our schools, where classrooms are more ethnically mixed than ever before. Audio