Newstalk ZB: Dr James Kierstead on grade inflation threatening university credibility
Dr James Kierstead
25 November, 2025
Dr James Kierstead talked to Heather du Plessis-Allan on Newstalk ZB about the Initiative's new research showing A grades at New Zealand universities have surged 64% since 2006 and now make up nearly 40% of all grades.
Dr Kierstead explained that academics face pressure to inflate grades to maintain student numbers and positive feedback, undermining universities' credibility as reliable signals to employers and requiring potential government intervention to address the systemic issue. Listen below.