Michael is a Senior Fellow at The New Zealand Initiative. He leads the Initiative’s work on education. He is a cognitive psychologist with a background in literacy research, educational assessment and psychometrics.
Prior to his time at the Initiative, he was the Associate Dean (Academic) of the Faculty of Education at Victoria University of Wellington. Between 2005 and 2011, he worked at the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA), where he developed a new, more reliable, marking system for NCEA examinations. In 2024, Michael chaired a Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) for Education Minister Erica Stanford. The MAG advised on the development of a knowledge-rich curriculum for English and mathematics. Following that work, Michael is currently a member of the Curriculum Coherence group, which advises on the development of knowledge-rich curricula across all school subjects. Michael is also a member of a technical advisory group to NZQA on assessment for NCEA and New Zealand Scholarship.
In his time at The New Zealand Initiative, Michael has published reports on Modern Learning Environments, systems reform in education, teacher education, the use of AI in education, and pathways for industry training and apprenticeships.
Phone: 044990790
On his show on Newstalk ZB, Mike Hosking talks to Dr Michael Johnston about his latest education report findings. The interview explores the report's key conclusions and implications for New Zealand's education system. Read more
On RNZ's morning report, Ingrid Hipkiss talks to Dr Michael Johnston about his latest report Trade Routes: Charting New Pathways from Secondary School to Industry Training. Listen below. Read more
Every website with ".nz" at the end of its address must be registered through InternetNZ. InternetNZ sets rules for who can have a website ending in ".nz", which names they can use for their web addresses, and what might lead to an address being revoked. Read more
1. INTRODUCTION AND SUMMARY 1.1 This submission on Options for the Future of Work-Based Learning is made by The New Zealand Initiative (the Initiative), a Wellington-based think tank supported primarily by major New Zealand businesses. Read more
In this episode, Michael and Oliver sound the alarm about the transformation of global power following a February 2025 phone call between Presidents Trump and Putin, where the US reportedly conceded to Russia's demands over Ukraine without consulting European allies. They examine what they see as the collapse of the post-WWII liberal democratic order and its dire implications for Europe, the Pacific region, and New Zealand's future in an increasingly unstable world. Read more
In this episode, James and Michael talk to Stephanie Martin from the Free Speech Union (and also the New Zealand Initiative) about a Law Commission consultation paper on hate crime legislation. The discussion examines the shift from treating hate as an aggravating factor in sentencing to creating specific hate crime offenses, while exploring philosophical questions about hate motivation and concerns about free speech implications. Read more
Some people think we live in relatively safe times. Those people are naïve. Read more
Regular Stuff columnist Damien Grant is a great friend of The New Zealand Initiative. In fact, he’s a member. Read more
Dr Michael Johnston spoke on RNZ Nights on how New Zealand schools are increasingly adopting Cambridge International qualifications alongside or instead of the national NCEA system, with a 20% increase in Cambridge enrollment in 2024 reaching nearly 8,000 students. The key differences between the systems are that Cambridge relies on end-of-year exams while NCEA focuses on internal assessments throughout the year, with the expert suggesting that while choice is good, New Zealand should ultimately aim to develop NCEA to a quality level that wouldn't necessitate international alternatives. Read more
How should politicians respond if public hospitals decided to stop treating injuries and illnesses? A version of this scenario is playing out in higher education across the English-speaking world. Read more
In this episode, Oliver, Eric and Michael reflect on New Zealand's key policy achievements in 2024, including education reform, housing policy changes, and foreign direct investment liberalisation, while discussing the significant economic challenges facing the country. They explore Ireland's successful foreign investment strategy, necessary reforms to address structural deficits, and New Zealand's position in international trade, ending with optimism about education improvements planned for 2025. Read more
Dr Michael Johnston talks to Heather du Plessis Allan on Newstalk ZB about new government legislation requiring universities to adopt freedom of speech statements and preventing them from taking positions on issues outside their core functions. Dr Johnston says while universities already have free speech obligations, the new legislation will provide needed complaints procedures and could help address what he sees as cultural problems in universities, though it isn't a complete solution. Read more
Academic freedom is a hot topic at the moment. The coalition agreement required universities to have academic freedom policies to receive government funding. Read more
To solve a problem, first you have to understand it. Once you understand it, you sometimes realise that it isn’t the same problem you had thought. Read more
In this episode, Michael talks to Travis Brown, a filmmaker who explores how different ideologies can lead to polarisation and dogmatic thinking, drawing from his own experiences in both fundamentalist Christian and leftist circles. The two discuss how growing political division threatens democracy and examine Brown's doco "When in Doubt," which demonstrates how embracing doubt and curiosity can lead to better understanding between people with opposing views, even if they don't ultimately change their minds. Read more