Author: Press Room

Ngāi Tahu is leading an initiative to phase out streaming from New Zealand schools by 2030 but not all students want to see it end. Grouping students by their abilities at school, or streaming, is common in New Zealand, especially for core subjects like maths, English and science. Education expert Christine Rubie-Davies said we have one of the highest rates of streaming out of all countries in the OECD, according to a 2017 report from the OECD. Rubie-Davies said streaming is “completely inequitable”, disadvantaging some students over others and affecting their life chances. She also said there is no evidence…

Exit polls indicate Austria’s far-right party has won historic first national election after tapping into voters’ fears of immigration and the Ukraine war. ADVERTISEMENTThe projection for ORF public television, based on partial counting, put support for the Freedom Party at 29.1% and for Chancellor Karl Nehammer’s Austrian People’s Party at 26.2%. The centre-left Social Democrats were in third place with 20.4%.The exit poll is believed to be accurate to within plus or minus 1.5 %.The party appears to have successfully tapped into voters’ anxieties about immigration, inflation, Ukraine and other concerns following recent gains for the hard right elsewhere in…

Earthworks have begun and construction materials have started arriving at the site of a new McDonald’s restaurant and drive-through in Green Island. The Dunedin City Council granted resource consent to the international fast-food giant in November last year to develop the South Rd site, which was formerly occupied by the Commercial Tavern. The plans show the drive-through will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and the dine-in part of the restaurant will operate from 7am-11pm, seven days a week.  

New Zealand has broken the record for the largest haka in the world and taken the official Guinness World Records title in the process.6531 people performed Ka Mate at Eden Park on Sunday night, surpassing the previous record which was set in France in 2014 (4028 people).“What started as an audacious idea a year ago to reclaim the record has now become reality. There was a lot on the line,” said Dame Hinewehi Mohi (Ngāti Kahungunu/Ngāi Tūhoe), cultural ambassador for HAKA and co-founder of the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust.”Haka is an important part of our culture and returning the mana…

Medical specialists in menopause are hailing the decision to publicly fund an oestrogen gel, providing a solution to the ongoing shortage of hormone replacement treatment (HRT) patches.From November 1 the drug buying agency Pharmac will fully fund Estrogel, which can ordinarily cost at least $40 a month.The gel, which is absorbed into the skin, helps relieve menopausal symptoms.It has the same efficacy and safety as the Pharmac-funded HRT patches but without the supply problems.For the past few years there’s been a global shortage of the patches, partly due to an increase in demand but also supply chain complications.Monica Barnes, a…

People who have escaped cults are like refugees in their own country, according to the organiser of New Zealand’s first cult conference.Decult is being held at Christchurch’s Tūranga Central Library on October 19 and 20. It aims to bring together cult leavers, academic experts, advocates, and activists to “help raise awareness, build networks, and educate professionals who want to minimise harm”.READ MORE: ‘I told women to get abortions’ – A cult survivor on brainwashing and regretsOrganiser Anke Richter said other countries have Government-funded secular cult information agencies, and New Zealand should consider doing the same.She said recovery treatment centres are…

“There is a revolt in the heartland and the Government better know that is the truth,” says Tararua District Mayor Tracey Collis.Her words, delivered to a packed Dannevirke community hall on Wednesday evening, captured a fierce opposition to proposed tolls on Te Ahu a Turanga, a highway to replace the impassable Manawatū Gorge road.Hundreds of locals gathered to voice their concerns about the proposed charges for the 24km stretch.The proposed toll would see light vehicles charged $2.70 one-way, with heavier vehicles facing steeper fees.The meeting follows a similar gathering in Woodville the previous week, as local anger grows over the…

Five people have been injured after a crash in Canterbury.Police received a report of a single-vehicle crash on Browns Rd, Eyrewell Forest, at around 10.25am.Hato Hone St John said three people were seriously injured, while two others were moderately injured.The injured were taken to Christchurch Hospital by ambulance and by helicopter.St John had responded with three ambulances, one rapid response unit, one manager, and two helicopters.The road was blocked for a period of time while emergency services attended but was now clear.Police are making inquiries into the circumstances of the crash.

A conservation group is offering a reward for information that leads to a conviction for the shooting of a female sea lion pup in the Catlins.The New Zealand Sea Lion Trust said it will be fronting a $5000 reward. “If you have any information about this incident please contact the New Zealand Sea Lion Trust at [email protected] or your local police,” the post read. “All information will be passed on to the appropriate authorities and anonymity will be respected. This reward does not offer immunity from prosecution, and will be paid out after a conviction.”The trust said it was “disappointed…

New Zealand’s economic future requires a significant shift in thinking, economist Ganesh Nana says.The former head of the recently-disestablished Productivity Commission spoke to Q+A following a speech by a senior Treasury official warning of stark realities in the country’s economy.Treasury chief economics adviser Dominick Stephens said forecasts of a return to government surplus by 2028, as planned by the coalition, would be driven by a decline in per capita public spending. “The implied speed and size of this decline is generally unprecedented in recent history in New Zealand.”Speaking to Q+A, Nana said: “That basically means the Government is going to…