Education

A 5-metre wooden pirate ship has sailed from an Invercargill workshop to a South City kindergarten. The massive playground was built by MenzShed volunteers at their Liddel Street location and installed last month at Nga Hau e Whai Kohanga Reo kindergarten in Balmoral Drive. The elaborate vessel stands 3 metres

Childcare centres will get extra funding six months early after the Government brought forward a $40 million boost. Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced the 1.5 percent subsidy increase will now come in July 2026, instead of January 2027. "There are few things as important to Kiwi parents

The Government has scrapped controversial homeschooling regulations after fierce opposition from families and ACT MPs forced Education Minister Erica Stanford to back down. The Education and Training Amendment Bill was due for its final reading today but will now return to committee to strip out the homeschooling provisions entirely. Stanford

Charli Gardiner-Hall is winning gold medals while studying for her degree online. The 18-year-old para-athlete took gold at the Oceania Athletics Championships in Darwin last week, setting new New Zealand records in the process. She also tops the 2026 world rankings in discus for her classification. Gardiner-Hall chose to study

More than 650 secondary school students descended on Southern Institute of Technology last Friday to see what happens after school ends. The open day at Hansen Hall showcased SIT's 190-plus courses across everything from electrical and automotive to beauty therapy and nursing. Students from 30 schools across the

Danone will fund three annual scholarships for Telford students in perpetuity, targeting agriculture, animal health, farm systems and equine programmes. The global food company's partnership with Southern Institute of Technology marks a significant investment in Southland's agricultural education sector. Three scholarships — covering academic excellence, practical skills

Graduates across America are booing speakers who try to sell them on artificial intelligence. The class of 2026 isn't buying the hype. At the University of Arizona, former Google CEO Eric Schmidt faced jeers after pushing an AI-driven future. University of Central Florida graduates booed real estate executive

After nearly a quarter of a century of lollypops, jangling bangles, and steadfast dedication, Coldstream Hostel Matron and Manager Sue Mills is hanging up her keys and heading for Wanaka. Sue's retirement in early July marks the end of a remarkable era for the Southland Boys' High