Searching for utopia: what our education system must confront and what it could be

Our new report Searching for utopia: what our education system must confront and what it could be highlights the urgent need for a comprehensive reform of New Zealand’s education system to address the evolving needs of our diverse and complex society.

Read the full report
Read the media release
Read the Herald article (premium)

Authored by Dr Nina Hood and Victoria Macann, this report explores the systemic challenges facing our schools today and calls for transformative change to prepare our children for the complexities of the 22nd century.

As the world becomes more diverse and complex, our current education system – designed over a century ago – struggles to meet the needs of young learners. The report outlines how declining student performance in core subjects such as reading, maths, and science, combined with growing socio-emotional demands on schools, make incremental reforms insufficient. It argues that without a complete overhaul, New Zealand risks leaving its young people underprepared for the future.

This is the first of two reports on the future of education in New Zealand. While this initial report focuses on identifying the systemic issues at the heart of the challenges, the second report – due early next year – will provide practical policy solutions to modernise and future-proof our education system.