There are many pressing problems facing New Zealand, but none more urgent than the decay of our once great education system. For more than two decades, the literacy and numeracy achievement of our young people has been declining. The downward trend is clear, in both our national monitoring data and international tests like PISA. We have an appalling truancy problem, and our teachers are unsupported and undervalued.

In this week’s podcast, Oliver Hartwich and Michael Johnston discuss the Initiative’s education manifesto Save our Schools: Solutions for New Zealand’s Education Crisis. This manifesto draws on the body of research compiled at The New Zealand Initiative over the past decade to bring together a coherent plan to improve our education system, and to restore it to a place of international excellence.

Podcast: Save our Schools - New Zealand's Education Crisis

In this episode, Michael talks to Professor Barbara Oakley, a McGraw Prize recipient, New York Times bestselling author and creater of the world's largest Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) with over 5 million students.

They discuss evidence-based approaches to mathematics education and the problems with constructivist teaching methods, while outlining their mission to support New Zealand's new knowledge-rich curriculum through workshops for teachers across the country.

Transforming maths education in New Zealand with Professor Barbara Oakley

In this episode, Michael Johnston interviews Katherine Hall, Executive Director of ConCOVE (Construction and Infrastructure Centre of Vocational Excellence), about the challenges facing vocational education and apprenticeships in New Zealand. They discuss systemic issues including poor completion rates, funding problems, and cultural stigma compared to university pathways, along with potential solutions inspired by Germany's dual training system.

Building better pathways for vocational education in New Zealand

In this episode, Oliver Hartwich interviews Dr Prabani Wood, who has worked as a GP in New Zealand for 15 years and discusses her report "The Heart of Healthcare," advocating for greater recognition of primary care's value in New Zealand's healthcare system. Dr Wood explains how continuous GP-patient relationships improve health outcomes and reduce costs, while highlighting challenges facing general practice including the inadequate capitation funding model and antiquated systems.

The Heart of Healthcare: Renewing New Zealand's Primary Care System

In this episode, Oliver Hartwich interviews the New Zealand Initiative's newest recruit, Benno Blaschke, exploring his extraordinary journey from his Austrian upbringing to becoming passionate about urban economics and housing affordability in New Zealand. 

They discuss Benno's unique background spanning contemplative practice, academic study, and public service roles before joining the Initiative to contribute to solving housing challenges through economic frameworks rather than continuing in the bureaucracy.

From Austria to the Initiative: Benno Blaschke's journey

In this podcast, Michael and James critique proposed amendments to New Zealand's Education and Training Act that aim to protect academic freedom in universities, arguing the legislation lacks meaningful enforcement mechanisms to hold institutions accountable.

They discuss potential improvements including a "free speech czar," legal recourse for violations, and eliminating loopholes that allow universities to restrict controversial speech through other institutional policies.

Does the new academic freedom legislation have teeth?

In this episode, Eric discusses credit card interchange fees with NERA's James Mellsop, who argues that the Commerce Commission's proposed regulation capping these fees could harm competition and innovation despite aiming to benefit consumers. 

They express concern that the Commission's narrow focus on allocative efficiency overlooks the dynamic benefits of interchange fees in financing innovation and new market entrants, potentially undermining the Commission's own goals of increasing competition in the banking sector.

Regulating credit card interchange fees

In this episode, Oliver talks to Nick about his submission regarding New Zealand's proposed parliamentary term extension from three to four years. 

Nick supports the concept of longer terms but criticises the current proposal's complicated conditional approach, arguing instead for a straightforward extension that should also apply to local government.

Rethinking NZ's three-year parliamentary cycle

In this episode, Oliver interviews Scott Scoullar, Chief Executive of Summerset, about New Zealand's looming aged care crisis with a projected shortfall of 7,000-8,000 beds by 2030 despite increasing elderly demographics. They discuss how retirement villages provide cost-effective care solutions, the regulatory hurdles of building new facilities, and the urgent need for better dialogue between the aged care sector and government policymakers.

Is NZ unprepared for its ageing population?

In this episode, James and Michael discuss how the Education Training Amendment Bill transforms school governance in New Zealand. They examine the bill's shift to make student learning the paramount objective for school boards, new requirements to address truancy through attendance management plans, and enhanced assessment standards to improve educational outcomes.