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15 results for "Education"
Te Pāti Māori proposes a universal basic income, removal of GST from food and basic necessities, free healthcare and education, and progressive wealth taxes. They argue Māori are disproportionately affected by cost of living pressures and that structural economic change is needed.
In simple terms
Give everyone a basic income, remove GST from food and essentials, make healthcare free, and tax wealth to fund it all.
Impact to New Zealanders
Businesses raise prices on non-food items to offset lost GST revenue; renters see landlords pass on wealth tax costs through higher rent.
High earners and investors relocate overseas, shrinking the tax base; government must either cut services or raise taxes on middle-income workers.
Basic income becomes baseline expectation; wage bargaining weakens as employers assume workers have guaranteed income, potentially lowering job market wages overall.
National has introduced structured literacy and numeracy programmes in primary schools, with a focus on returning to phonics-based reading instruction. They propose restoring charter schools, setting achievement targets, and reducing compliance burden on teachers to focus on core skills.
In simple terms
Teach reading through proven phonics methods, bring back charter schools, set clear achievement targets for students, and let teachers focus on teaching.
Impact to New Zealanders
Charter schools attract engaged families, leaving traditional public schools with fewer resources and more challenging student cohorts to support.
Teachers spend more time on standardised testing and targets, reducing time for arts, sports, and pastoral care that keep struggling students engaged.
Reading gains plateau as phonics alone cannot close widening socioeconomic gaps; two-tier system hardens, privileging wealthy suburbs over rural and poorer communities.
Labour expanded free early childhood education, made fees free for the first year of tertiary study, and developed the Learning Support Action Plan. They reformed Tomorrow's Schools, introduced attendance support programmes, and invested in school lunches and mental health support.
In simple terms
Make early childhood and first year of university free, provide school lunches, support students with learning difficulties, and invest in school mental health.
Impact to New Zealanders
Government spending on education rises sharply, requiring tax increases or cuts to other services like infrastructure or healthcare.
More students stay in formal education longer, potentially delaying entry into workforce and creating labour shortages in trades and essential services.
University becomes less selective by merit; employer hiring practices shift toward experience over credentials, reducing the degree's competitive advantage.
The Green Party supports free education from early childhood through tertiary, cancelling student debt, reducing class sizes, better pay and conditions for teachers, and a wellbeing-focused curriculum. They also support fully funded bilingual education and te reo Māori in schools.
In simple terms
Make all education free from kindy to university, cancel student debt, pay teachers more, make classes smaller, and teach te reo Māori in all schools.
Impact to New Zealanders
Government spending on education doubles, requiring tax increases or cuts elsewhere; middle-income earners see higher taxes to fund free university for all.
University enrollment surges; employers struggle to find skilled trades workers as more pursue degrees, driving up plumber and electrician costs for households.
Te reo fluency increases social cohesion but creates workforce advantage for Māori speakers; non-speakers may face subtle workplace competition in certain sectors.
ACT's flagship education policy is charter schools (now called partnership schools), where private operators can run publicly funded schools with more flexibility. They support school choice, merit pay for teachers, publishing school performance data, and reducing the curriculum to core subjects.
In simple terms
Allow private organisations to run publicly funded schools, let parents choose any school, pay the best teachers more, and focus on core subjects like reading, writing and maths.
Impact to New Zealanders
Private operators cluster schools in wealthy areas where profits are easiest, leaving rural and poor communities with fewer choices despite policy intent.
Top teachers concentrate in high-paying schools, creating quality gaps; struggling schools lose experienced staff and spiral, harming students who can't move.
Arts, sciences, and vocational subjects shrink across the system as operators cut 'unprofitable' programmes, limiting career pathways for future generations regardless of ability.
NZ First supports a back-to-basics approach in primary education, trade and vocational education investment, limiting cell phone use in schools, and ensuring schools teach New Zealand history and civics. They also support rural school funding and oppose rapid curriculum changes.
In simple terms
Focus on basics like reading and maths, invest in trades training, ban phones in classrooms, and teach New Zealand history in every school.
Impact to New Zealanders
Schools reduce other subjects; students with learning disabilities struggle more without digital tools and specialized resources.
Trades training grows but crushes university pathways; middle-class families pay private schools to keep academic options open for their kids.
NZ history curriculum creates shared national narrative, but regional/Māori perspectives compete for limited class time, potentially deepening historical interpretation divides.
Te Pāti Māori calls for fully funded kura kaupapa Māori (Māori language immersion schools) and kōhanga reo (Māori language nests), compulsory te reo Māori in all schools, free tertiary education, cancellation of student debt, and a decolonised curriculum.
In simple terms
Fund Māori language schools properly, teach te reo Māori in every school, make university free, cancel student debt, and reform the curriculum to reflect New Zealand's true history.
Impact to New Zealanders
Government redirects billions from other departments to education, delaying road repairs and healthcare facility upgrades nationwide.
University graduates flood job markets faster; employers demand higher qualifications, pushing non-degree workers into lower-wage sectors permanently.
Te reo fluency becomes economic advantage; non-Māori speakers face career limits in public sector, reversing historical disadvantage patterns.
Labour introduced the 2021 immigration reset to reduce dependence on low-wage migration, created the Green List for critical health and education workers, and introduced the Pacific Access Category reset. They support a more selective, skills-focused immigration system.
In simple terms
Focus immigration on skilled workers New Zealand really needs, make it easier for Pacific Islanders to come to NZ, and reduce reliance on low-wage overseas labour.
Impact to New Zealanders
Businesses in hospitality, agriculture, and construction face labour shortages and higher wage bills, passing costs to consumers through higher prices.
Some industries automate or relocate overseas rather than compete for skilled workers, reducing total job opportunities in regional towns outside major cities.
New Zealand's population growth slows significantly, reducing demand for housing and infrastructure but also shrinking the tax base funding healthcare and superannuation.
Labour established the Māori Health Authority, implemented co-governance in Three Waters, developed the He Puapua framework for Treaty implementation, increased Māori language funding, and worked to address Māori inequity across health, housing, education, and justice.
In simple terms
Create Māori-led health and water governance, fund the Māori language, and reduce the major gaps between Māori and non-Māori in health, housing, and education.
Impact to New Zealanders
Government spending on Māori health and water governance increases, requiring budget reallocation from other departments or tax adjustments affecting all earners.
Improved Māori health outcomes reduce emergency room visits, freeing up hospital resources but potentially shrinking private health sector profits in provincial areas.
Māori-led governance becomes institutionalised; future governments face political difficulty reversing it, locking in spending patterns regardless of economic conditions.
Our Team Our Team Meet Christopher Groups Values Get in Touch Volunteer Take Action Take Action Donate Stay Informed Become a Member Volunteer National Foundation News News Latest News MP News Public Notices Members DONATE Electorate Finder Our Team Take Action News Members DONATE Back Pocket Boost for Graduates in New Zealand 30 August 2026 Back Pocket Boost for Graduates in New Zealand A re-elected National Government will let Kiwis with student loans who stay in New Zealand keep more of what
In simple terms
Qualification completions increase across the tertiary sector07 July 2026Penny SimmondsNew data on New Zealand's tertiary education system shows growth in qualification completions across the sector, says Penny Simmonds, Minister for Tertiary Education The latest Ministry of Education data, published on Education Counts, indicates the number of students completing a provider-based tertiary qualification increased by 8% in 2025, compared with 2024.
Impact to New Zealanders
Quieter classrooms boost completion rates for students with sensory sensitivities, but quieter doesn't mean better teaching—some struggle without peer discussion and collaborative noise.
Vocational trades programs lose enrolment as students gravitate toward quieter, classroom-based qualifications; skilled trades worker shortages emerge, driving wages up for plumbers and electricians.
Workforce becomes diploma-heavy but practically under-skilled; employers overseas offer better-trained workers, costing NZ jobs and tax revenue as companies relocate offshore.
MP for Hauraki-Waikato and Te Pāti Māori Education Spokesperson, Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, stands in support of the urgent Waitangi Tribunal hearings taking place this week into Wai 3553. The claim, brought forward by Northland iwi and hapū Ngāti Hine and Te Kapotai alongside NZEI Te Riu Roa and education advocates, raises serious concerns that education reforms will impact how schools uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi, and weaken support for Māori learners, language, and culture. “T
In simple terms
Everlee Wihongi was set to appear in court today to be freed from ICE detention.
Impact to New Zealanders
Government pressure to fund housing builds Māori construction skills, but diverts training budgets from other sectors, creating labour shortages elsewhere.
Rapid Māori housing development increases property values in targeted areas, pricing out younger Māori buyers who can't afford inflated neighbouring costs.
Concentrated Māori housing clusters risk becoming isolated from job hubs, forcing longer commutes and increasing transport costs for lower-income whānau.
Te Pāti Māori is proud to announce Lisa Marie Murch as its candidate for Te Tai Tonga in the 2026 General Election. Born and raised in Murihiku, Lisa brings lived experience, education, service, and a deep commitment to whānau Māori across Te Waipounamu. A young Māori mother at sixteen, Lisa knows firsthand the realities many whānau face. Her journey from cleaning and baking, to becoming a head baker, bilingual primary teacher, kaupapa Māori educator, and specialist across Murih
In simple terms
Te Pāti Māori is proud to announce Lisa Marie Murch as its candidate for Te Tai Tonga in the 2026 General Election. Born and raised in Murihiku, Lisa brings lived experience, education, service, and a deep commitment to whānau Māori across Te Waipounamu. A young Māori mother at sixteen, Lisa knows firsthand the realities many whānau face.
Impact to New Zealanders
More Māori young parents access education support, but school attendance funding stretches thin across all regions.
Rangatahi Māori complete more qualifications, reducing immediate youth unemployment, but creating skill-job mismatch in provincial areas lacking employers.
Educated Māori increasingly migrate to Auckland/Wellington for work, gradually depopulating rural iwi communities despite local investment intentions.
Taxes fund services that create a greater economic return than the cost.A free market economy requires a productive workforce, therefore we invest in education healthcare.Feel free to employ an economist to provide some basic training on this matter … See more
In simple terms
Taxes fund services that create a greater economic return than the cost.
Impact to New Zealanders
Government cuts funding to programs deemed low-return, leaving vulnerable workers without retraining support while employers save on wage costs.
Regions dependent on 'low-return' services (rural areas, provincial towns) experience population drain as skilled workers migrate to high-productivity urban centers.
Two-tier labour market emerges: high-wage tech/finance workers in cities versus chronic underemployment in regions, reducing overall economic mobility for working-class New Zealanders.
TOP advocates for a prevention-focused health system with increased investment in primary care, reinstating smokefree 2025 legislation, expanding the health workforce through better training and conditions, and cross-party agreement on a 10-year health plan to insulate health from political cycles. They support reducing chronic disease through better nutrition education and early intervention.
In simple terms
Invest more in prevention and primary care to stop people getting sick in the first place, bring back smokefree laws, and get all parties to agree on a long-term health plan that survives changes of government.
Impact to New Zealanders
Government spending on GP visits and quit-smoking programs rises, delaying money for hospital equipment upgrades that voters expect immediately.
Fewer smoking-related illnesses reduce hospital demand, but tobacco workers and retailers face job losses while health workers gain stable employment in primary care clinics.
Cross-party health agreements lock in prevention spending even when governments change, removing flexibility to redirect funds during economic crises or emerging health emergencies.
TOP proposes reforming early childhood education to favour smaller community centres with equal pay for ECE teachers, introducing compulsory civics education from Year 6, investing in lifelong learning and adult retraining, and reducing screen time in primary schools. They also support reducing tertiary student debt through the Citizen's Income, which provides financial security during study.
In simple terms
Better early childhood centres with fairly-paid teachers, teach civics in primary school, support adults who want to retrain, and cut screen time for younger students. The Citizen's Income also helps students avoid debt.
Impact to New Zealanders
Better-paid childcare workers leave other low-wage sectors, tightening labour supply in aged care and hospitality.
Civics-educated students demand more local council accountability, increasing pressure on councils to hire staff and raise rates.
Reduced student debt means more young people can save for mortgages, driving up house prices in outer suburbs.
