Nearly 15,000 students failed to miss the literacy and numeracy standards in last year's NCEA results. Figures provided to RNZ by NZQA showed 9% of students in Year 13 and 15% of Year 12s had not achieved the literacy and numeracy co-requisite by the end of 2025. Maxwell said students who failed were not likely to return to school to keep trying to pass the co-requisite. "Those students haven't had the benefit of the minister's investment in structured literacy or numeracy," he said. He said the tests were not well suited to schools in poor communities, neurodiverse students and many boys.

A group of dirt bikers in South Auckland have put lives at risk after driving into oncoming traffic, over footpaths and across fields where children were playing, say police. Tāmaki Makaurau Duty Operations Manager Inspector Kerry Watson said police were asking for the public's help before someone was killed. "We're asking for assistance from the public so we can locate these riders as soon as possible before they kill someone or themselves. "There are no other words - it was horrifying behaviour, and to see riders speeding across sport fields where young kids are playing . Inspector Watson said the 25-year-old's bike had been impounded, and anyone involved would also lose their bikes once caught.

By Ruth Hill of RNZNew rules allowing GPs and nurse practitioners to prescribe drugs to treat ADHD increase the risk of over-diagnosis, over-prescribing, addiction, psychosis and other harms, some clinicians are warning. Caity has since been diagnosed with ADHD but does not currently take medication, and has not had another psychotic episode. In one devastating case, a teenager died of suspected suicide within weeks of being diagnosed with ADHD. "I'm really concerned about this pathway of making it easier and faster for less qualified people to diagnose ADHD." However, they did not work for everyone, and treating ADHD was often much more complicated than just popping a pill.

PHOTO: ODT FILESA wholesale rethink of the Dunedin City Council’s capital spending programme looms, as councillors weigh potential ramifications of rates capping. Next month, and in April, councillors are set to revisit the entire capital expenditure programme and then set priorities. Budgets in March would "look to reprioritise a whole series of projects, potentially, with the spectre of rates capping in mind", she said. The council last year approved a capital programme worth $2 billion over nine years in its 2025-2034 long-term plan. "I’m actually really very grateful and relieved that our capital spend is significantly down," he said.

Photo: SUPPLIED / NGAI TAHUWitnesses are being sought in relation to the grounding of a catamaran at Akaroa on Banks Peninsula. The Black Cat Cruises catamaran was beached at Nīkau Palm Valley Bay, after it got into trouble on Saturday afternoon - requiring more than 40 people to be rescued. ECAN said it was working with the Conservation Department, iwi, and Black Cat Cruises on the recovery and salvage, while the Transport Accident Investigation Commission said it would be investigating. Black Cat Cruises was approached for comment. ECAN said the exclusion zone around the boat remained in place, and all non-response vessels must keep clear.

PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSONThe Dunedin Iranian community is calling for international intervention as violent unrest unfolds in their country. Iranian health officials were saying the death toll could top 30,000 people, The Guardian has reported. The Otago Daily Times spoke to a Dunedin Iranian resident, who asked to remain anonymous. Supreme leader Ali Khamenei’s regime blocked internet and international telephone calls at the start of last month. The protest on Saturday was about amplifying the voices of Iranians and to get international awareness of the unrest.

“There are now 9931 fewer filled jobs in Wellington City, which is a very significant fall because the long-run trend going back to 2015 had been for slow but quite consistent growth in the number of filled jobs,” he said. Firstly, wages are growing at a much slower rate right now, probably less than inflation for many people in Wellington. “There’s been no plan to deliver economic growth to Wellington to help support new jobs, or to help tackle the downstream effects of those job losses,” he said. Willis said the Government wanted “Wellington to succeed” and talked up “significant investments in the capital”. “They include expanding Wellington Hospital and investing in the film sector, major local roading projects and building work on local schools.

PHOTO: STEPHEN JAQUIERYDunedin health charity Te Kāika, which is under investigation, has repeatedly been allowed to miss deadlines for filing crucial financial reports. Charity law dictates charities must file returns of their financial performance and service provision annually and within six months of the end of their financial year, unless granted an extension. A Dunedin charity sector expert, who did not wish to be named, described the charity’s lack of ability to submit returns within six months as compliance "fragility". They stressed the importance of timely returns and said a charity "absolutely puts its registration at risk" if returns are filed late repeatedly. The ODT asked the DIA for reasons why OHL had been given extensions, and for procedures that apply if a charity submits returns late.

PHOTO: GERARD O’BRIENWork to improve traffic connections bypassing central Dunedin will be complete by August, the city council says. In a statement, Dunedin City Council transport group manager Jeanine Benson said the goal was to make the harbour arterial the preferred route for vehicles, especially heavy vehicles. It is expected to reduce traffic flow through the centre city during construction of the new hospital. A new roundabout at the intersection of Otaki and Orari Sts will be built to improve traffic flow, sightlines and access. "We understand that removing parking may inconvenience some, but this is necessary to ease congestion and to improve traffic flow and safety," Ms Benson said.

In a proposed submission, the council backed the government’s Infrastructure Funding and Finance Act Amendment Bill’s intentions, but was wary of its possible unforeseen effects. The Bill intends to improve infrastructure funding and financing tools to support urban development. It is part of the government’s omnibus strategy to enable and simplify urban growth where appropriate. "DCC supports the principle that growth should pay for growth, and the intent of the Infrastructure Funding and Financing framework to enable timely infrastructure delivery to support growth, independent of council funding constraints. The council submission also warned the Bill, by encouraging more growth, may inadvertently lead to networks that were "inefficient or poorly integrated".

The act owes its existence to the Committee on Official Information, chaired by Alan Danks, which reported in 1980 and 1981. The Danks Committee recommended replacing the Official Secrets Act with a regime grounded in openness. Former Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier repeatedly warned that many agencies approach OIA requests defensively, treating them as threats rather than democratic obligations. Health New Zealand has been repeatedly criticised for practices “contrary to law”, including notifying requesters that a decision has been made without stating what that decision is, even after statutory deadlines have passed. The tragedy is that the Official Information Act remains fundamentally sound.

“We’re asking for assistance from the public so we can locate these riders as soon as possible before they kill someone or themselves. Dozens of staff and the Eagle helicopter were diverted to try to split the group up, while police also worked with local petrol stations in case the group attempted to refuel. It wasn’t until 5.45pm that the riders disappeared. Watson said police were combing through CCTV footage to identify those involved in this “display of stupidity”. Sign up to The Daily H, a free newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.

Rehearsing last September at the Regent Theatre for Taieri Musical’s Jesus Christ Superstar, which picked up three awards in the Otago Southland Theatre Awards, are (from left) James Adams (Jesus), Max Beal (Judas) and Sophie Whibley (Mary). PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSONMusical theatre company Showbiz Queenstown was the big winner at the 12th annual Otago Southland Theatre Awards at the weekend. Showbiz Queenstown also won awards for best set, best vocal direction, best direction, and best overall musical for 2025. Among the 24 awards presented, four were presented to Musical Theatre Dunedin for their production of Chess, and three were presented to Taieri Musical for Jesus Christ Superstar. (East Otago Musical Theatre).

Fire and Emergency are investigating after a video was posted online of the rude gesture. Video / SuppliedFire and Emergency New Zealand is investigating after footage of a firefighter making an obscene gesture behind Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s back emerged online. The short clip shows Luxon chatting and gesturing as he speaks to the person in front of a Defence Force helicopter. The firefighter then turns to the camera and makes an obscene gesture, commonly used to mockingly simulate masturbation. A spokeswoman for Fire and Emergency said the department “does not condone the behaviour depicted in the video”.

Police are investigating the cause of the crash on Puketutu Rd, which left one person dead. One person dies after two-vehicle crash near Matamata, road now reopenedPolice are investigating the cause of the crash on Puketutu Rd, which left one person dead. One person has died following a two-vehicle crash in the Waikato town of Matamata. Police said emergency services were called to the scene on Puketutu Rd at about 12.15pm today. “The road was closed while the Serious Crash Unit conducted a scene examination and it has now been reopened,” police said.