This report explores how New Zealand identifies high-performing and underperforming schools. It is argued that new approaches and tools need to be adopted to ensure that schools can be evaluated objectively.

This research note aims to provide much-needed inspiration for achieving the government’s large-scale reform agenda proposed earlier this month. To cover Minister of Education Chris Hipkins’ all-embracing goals, it includes proposals for both the structure of the vocational education generally and the future of industry-based education specifically.

Some of New Zealand’s troubles with the night-time are inherently due to the regulatory framework: So far, cities have been given neither the right tools nor the right incentives to work out their visions and strategies for a more thriving nightlife. This report proposes some policy solutions.

This paper argues that New Zealand cannot achieve its emissions targets or be a good international citizen in practice by implementing policies that do not work. Testing is the only way to know whether proposed policies will deliver, and implemented policies are delivering, for the environment.

In this report, The New Zealand Initiative makes a case against reintroducing compulsory collective bargaining as proposed by the Fair Pay Agreement Working Group and endorsed by the Coalition Government. They do so in cogent and detailed form, relating the practice of such a payfixing structure to economic performance and the record of the more...