• Schools using free and open-source software.

• Teaching ways of thinking that allows students to learn, as opposed to rote learning which leaves students helpless when change comes along.

• Allowing every student to reach their full potential. Right now we just make sure they reach some bar.

• Adding Portuguese to the languages we teach and offer qualifications in.

• Allow a better balance of theory and practice in all subjects. Theory is important, but is pointless without practice. Students should learn how to do things, and be able to understand what they're actually doing.

• Any religious instruction in public schools should be opt-in, and should not go on during regular class hours. Preferably, it would not be at all. Religious instruction in schools is a fantastic way to make non-religious students, or students from other religions, feel alienated. Keep in mind that that's fifty percent of the population is not affiliated with Christianity.

• Better language education in general. Language classes shouldn't just teach boilerplate questions and answers. I think tools like Duolingo should be used to supplement language classes.

• More lessons on cooking and healthy eating. Not only is this a basic life skill, students coming home and cooking for their families would reduce financial stress, if only by a little, and would lower healthcare costs.

• Better enforce sex-education laws. I was not given sex education, and my friends who still go to that school say that they have not received it either. Not all of us are fortunate enough to already be educated about that sort of thing. I also think sex education should be given earlier than high school. I think 12 is a good age.

• More control in the hands of the teachers. Teachers should have more say over what is being taught, without having to leave teaching (the thing they're passionate about) to go and write the curriculum.

• More tinkering, and learning how things really work.

• Research into how boys and girls think, so we can teach boys and girls in ways that are more effective. Our current system is better suited to girls, and we need a balanced system so our boys don't fall behind.

• Classes that aren't so rigidly tied to age.

I'm sure there's plenty more that I've discussed before, but this is what comes to mind right now.

Golly, don't get me started!

More than anything, I would like to see more freedom for students to pursue their own interests, in their own way, at their own pace ie self-directed learning in a supportive environment.

Students should not have to conform with a system that doesn't meet their needs and/or aspirations. Any compulsory subjects and/or content should be very carefully considered, and only included if really considered necessary and in the students' best interests.

English is very helpful after school

I am interested in examining the role, direction, structure, ownership and financing of Universities, Polytechs, Private Training Establishments, Charter Schools, State Schools, and Early Childhood Centres.
Does anyone have anything to add to this?

Revolutionising the education system

For all fundamental subjects - esp. areas such as maths & sciences:

To transition from a geographically centralised system based on classroom education, to a decentralised E-education system, with randomly generated instantaneous limitless multiple chance E-exams - when the learner is ready - until the user has passed. Test results can be revisited any time, and tests can be re-attempted any time - can revise and even achieve better grades as more criteria are successfully met.

Lessons and learning can take place anywhere, anytime via e-media, or with sessions facilitated by a personally chosen and designated tutor, learning guide, teacher, lecturer, or companion with appropriate/relevant professional knowledge, etc..
Subject tests can then be attempted at a self-paced rate, with student-centred choice and control over what they wish to learn - the career and lifestyles they wish to fulfil - the aspects of life they yearn to explore.
An alternative system to the current institutionally driven, limited, rigid, authoritarian teaching-learning and assessment paradigm.

Counts toward credit for general ed., as well as prerequisite and entrance requirements into higher level fields of education learning and activity - NZQA, IB, Cambridge, etc. no longer have the monopoly on the curricula timetable to be followed, nor the style of assessment! Can even be used for various undergrad subjects that are more or less regurgitation of well known advanced fields of knowledge that merely extend secondary school subjects. Users can then focus more on research and development activities and projects based on their own interests and curiosities at their own pace, assisted by support, sponsorship and consultation with relevant community stakeholders - student development/research project teams could essentially organise themselves into sociocratic student taskforces as part of their learning experiences.
Employed people can also gain education and upskill at their own pace - tailoring personal education programmes according to personal selection of modules of niche skills they wish to develop. Education need never end, it can continue steadily, cheap, cost-effective or free for the most part, while we all still continue to get on with our careers, professions and lifestyles at a steady pace.

Automatically generated and shareable e-learning e-portfolio, as modules are completed - shows live updates on expertise in the areas of learning that have been validated as each test has been completed indicating to what level in each subject we are qualified.

No longer have to cram a rigid curriculum into the first 20 or so years of life. Can be a self owns, self directed, self-paced, self chosen syllabus of learning assisted by consultation with relevant and appropriate community stakeholders.

Let's start this business!

What does everyone think?

Prepare for the P2P revolution!

Never enrol into a rigidly structured non-democratic education programme again!
From birth to "PhD"

If only the MoE provided greater incentives to support autonomous learning and autonomous educators, that would help the movement - similar to idea of govt supported LMC midwives and obstetricians in the health sector. Also need to build up the ICT sector infrastructure to better support autonomous learning opportunities.

What this essentially means in relation to our nationalised education industry organisations, is that all the organisations under the MoE such as NZQA all need to get together, bang their heads and start developing a platform for intelligent randomly generated online assessments to instantly award credits any time of the year, that can also sync with a personal e-portfolio platform. No longer limited to the infamous “exam time”. Many universities would also see a great reduction in time spent assessing courses, as they could also create assessments using such a method. If the assessments are provided open and free, then virtually anyone could undergo the learning required at their own pace anywhere in the world.

The govt/NZQA would then also be incentivised to implement a feature to enrol international e-students – providing services and social good internationally – perhaps also generating a revenue if feasible.

e-NZQA could become a provider of a generic platform for organisations to host MOOAs (massive open online assessments), and e-NZ would be one step closer to becoming a competitor in borderless digital citizen markets that are currently dominated by the likes of Google, Apple, and e-Estonia.