newsletter #64 for Monday, 25th March, 2024

3 min read

Addressing the root causes New Zealand’s teacher shortage

We spoke to a principal about his views on teaching and the impact of deteriorating student behaviour on staff retention. Suggestions to improve recruitment include making it easier for qualified individuals to teach specialised subjects like technology and dropping the culture wars. Challenges to the recruitment of overseas teachers included bureaucratic hurdles, validating qualifications and the slow registration process, but progress is being made.

3 min read

AT was warned about speed bumps and emergency response delays – Part 1 

AT implemented traffic calming measures despite knowing they could delay emergency response times. Emergency vehicles can save an average of almost 3 minutes by high-speed driving. The time saved by hurrying is then often lost by navigating traffic calming measures like speed bumps. Analysts seem to have ignored  the  negatives of delayed emergency responses, which seem bigger than the traffic calming wins.

3 min read

Balancing state funded media in New Zealand

The neutrality of state broadcasters is vital to New Zealand’s democracy. 

Perspectives in state broadcasting need to be diverse like the taxpayers footing the bill. Core to eliminating state media bias is a  mechanism ensuring balance in editorial decision-making. To work on a sustained basis, the content needs to be apportioned among adverse parties with each group protecting their turf. 

3 min read

“What is NIWA hiding?” – Wishart questions as NIWA blocks Privacy Act bid by claiming IT system can’t search by keywords

Journalist Ian Wishart questions NIWA’s inability to comply with the Privacy Act.

NIWA claims its IT system lacks the capability to perform a basic keyword search by name, hindering their obligation to comply with the Privacy Act.

Wishart suggests NIWA’s either hiding damning emails or lacks basic competence.