Show Notes
Story of the week this week goes to a Herald piece about Ngaire Ashmore, the principal of Auckland Girls' Grammar. Ten years ago, she took over and turned the place upside down. Where there was failure, there's now a 92% university entrance mark for Year 13s. It was less than 50% when she started. The article gives the impression of a driven, serious, and quite determined leader, there for the right reasons. We need more of them. Interestingly, one of the things she found most difficult was not the kids, but the teachers. Getting them to believe the kids could actually do better and be better. Be more successful. That was the challenge. Thank goodness she's succeeded. We often, rightly, put focus on the curriculum and the style of teaching and the assessments, but at the end of the day, leadership, vision, goals, and guts are what drive organisations to improve. It's as true in business as it is in schools. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
More from Early Edition with Ryan Bridge
Education Minister Erica Stanford’s education overhaul has been impressive this government term. We’re seeing improvements in primary school student achievement, the NCEA qualification is not long for this world, and how good is it to have cellphones out of the classroom? But for all the changes, there are families who feel the system simply doesn’t work for their child, whose needs, interests or circumstances may not fit comfortably within a conventional classroom. Yet when someone suggests trying something different, we can become remarkably attached to doing the same thing and hoping for a different result. That is why charter schools deserve a fair hearing. ACT has made school choice and educational innovation central to its education agenda for the 2026 general election. It has set a target of 10,000 charter school enrolments by 2029, and a goal of a charter school option in every major town. As the parent of a child with a brilliant, complex, neurodivergent mind who loves to learn but struggled with the mainstream school environment, this is music to my ears. In order for our child to complete her education, we went down an alternative route. No one was more surprised than we were. It was hugely expensive and prohibitive for most, but it was brilliant. Our child, who was falling out of school, is now doing a science degree at university. Charter schools will hopefully give more families struggling with children in similar situations the same opportunity. It is life-changing. For a young person who has all but given up on education, it could be the beginning of a future that might otherwise have quietly disappeared. Labour leader Chris Hipkins opposes charter schools. "We should give all of our schools the tools they need to cater for all of the kids who come through the gate," Hipkins said yesterday. It is an admirable ambition. But is it the reality? Teachers regularly describe classrooms stretched by complex learning needs, behavioural challenges and inadequate support. Expecting one teacher to meet every need in a crowded classroom is a little like asking a Swiss Army knife to perform open-heart surgery. Most mainstream schools do wonderful work. But not every child learns the same way, responds to the same environment or thrives under the same structure. A practical, culturally grounded or more flexible approach can be the difference between disengagement and achievement. There are legitimate concerns about charter schools. Public money must be protected, teaching quality maintained, and private operators prevented from putting profit ahead of pupils. Independence must never mean a free pass. Transparent reporting, financial audits, measurable achievement targets and the power to terminate contracts are essential safeguards. But if those checks and balances are enforced, why should every school have to follow precisely the same model? Charter schools are not a replacement for mainstream education. They are another tool in the kit. New Zealand’s children are not all the same, so why insist their education must be? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Listen to the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast for Friday 23 October. Get the Early Edition with Ryan Bridge Full Show Podcast every weekday morning on iHeartRadio, or wherever you get your podcasts.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Inflation's eased up slightly - but it's also become more persistent and widespread. The official inflation rate has fallen in the past three months - from 4.1 percent to 3.7 percent - due to a brief fall in fuel prices. But underlying core inflation has been rising and more items are increasing in price. Labour's Finance Spokesperson Barbara Edmonds told Francesca Rudkin the government doesn't have a plan to tackle the rising prices. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The Indian cricket tour begins tonight with a T20 against New Zealand at a sold-out Hagley Oval in Christchurch. The sides last met in March's World Cup final at Ahmedabad, won by the then-hosts. However, the start times for this tour seem to be an issue, as an 8pm start means the games won't be ending until nearly midnight. Newstalk ZB Sports Reader Andrew Alderson told Ryan Bridge it's not ideal, but the tour is a golden egg. He says that it's an amazing opportunity for NZ Cricket to reap the rewards of a broadcasting deal worth millions as well as ticket sales and merchandising. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Auckland Business Chamber CEO Simon Bridges says politically, the Mood of the Boardroom shows a "tactical draw" between National and Labour. The survey of business leaders shows dissatisfaction and a desire for more investment in infrastructure, reform, leadership and talk of productivity, Bridges told Ryan Bridge. "Because you'd expect, and they are in their numbers, the Nats as a centre right incumbent government to be higher up, I would sort of call it a tactical draw between the Nats and Labour when you look at this closely." Unease about "the tail wagging the dog" with minor parties gaining more power in the future government is also present. "This is a very small sliver of business. It's the top end of town, let alone it being the electorate... "They've got a very clear view about what they like. They tend to like stability, certainty, an incumbent government over change that might be messy and uncertain." The former National Party leader said no result in the upcoming election would surprise him. LISTEN ABOVE See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.