Maths Week registrations are open! Check their website for resources, information, and to see what’s new before Maths Week kicks off on August 10.

The 20th annual New Zealand Garden Bird Survey kicks off this Saturday, 27 June, and runs until Sunday, 5 July. It’s a fantastic opportunity for your students to head outside for an hour, connect with nature, and contribute to an important real-world scientific dataset.

The website provides everything you need: a tally sheet, bird-identification resources, and a form to submit data. They’ve also just released the data from the 2025 survey.

We’re delighted to celebrate University of Auckland statisticians Professor Thomas Lumley, Associate Professor Simon Urbanek, and Associate Professor Paul Murrell, who have won a top global award intended to be a Nobel Prize for statisticians for their work on the ‘R’ programming language.

Digital tools: Harnessing technology for probability explorations and analysis Y1-11

Draft chapter by Chris Wild from Probability | Tūponotanga – A guide for teaching probability (ages 5–18). See also the related Resources.

Data Biographies

Datasets include rollercoasters, extreme heat, ladybugs, and more.

Data Education in Schools

Scottish website with lots of resources, including data selfies, data-themed escape rooms, AI literacy, and live online activities.

Data Gems

A list of datasets for use by New Zealand teachers and students, fostering statistical and mathematical thinking.

Stats Chat

Current statistics in the media, commentary, and sport match score predictions by lecturers in the Department of Statistics at The University of Auckland.

We hope you are having a good first term! Here’s your latest updates…

Upcoming Seminar

What happens when mathematics and craft teachers work collaboratively?

Friday, 20 March 2026, 8 am (NZDT)

Discover how educators in Denmark paired craft and mathematics to create innovative, integrated lesson plans. Participants will receive English-language teaching materials and classroom resources.

Teaching Resources

Data Towers

This is a lovely adaptation of our Year 4-6 data cards.

Natural History Data Sets

A series of three large data sets with teaching notes:

• Blackbirds involves: averages, spread, graphical summaries, dealing with missing data, and general linear modelling.
• Magpies involves: averages, spread, graphical summaries, dealing with missing data, time series, and categorical data.
• Slugs involves: grouping data, contingency tables, and dealing with missing data.

Data Analysis Videos

The University of Otago hosts a series of in-depth data analysis videos, best suited for high school students. Examples include:

• Property sales in North Shore City involves: data cleaning, exploration, confidence intervals, and tests for differences between means.
• Rare threatened bird, the Rock Wren, involves: matched data samples, confidence intervals using the t-distribution, and bootstrapping.
• Adjusting to high altitude in the Himalayas involves: a designed study with repeated measures, confidence intervals, and tests on matched data.

CensusAtSchool Questionnaire

The questionnaire is open throughout the school year until the end of November. Get started

Early insights from CensusAtSchool 2025 show what students across Aotearoa are eating, watching, saying, and dreaming of, and how these habits change as they grow.

Almost 16,000 students from 310 schools have already taken part in this year’s CensusAtSchool – TataurangaKiTeKura Aotearoa, an educational project that gives students the opportunity to be both participants and data explorers. The results so far reveal fascinating patterns in everything from musical ability and device use to trending internet words and dream holiday destinations.

Half of Students Play an Instrument. Piano and Guitar Lead the Way

Fifty percent of students said they could play at least one musical instrument, and many play more than one. Seventeen and a half percent said they could play at least two, and 7.3 percent said they could play three or more.

The most commonly played instruments were piano or keyboard and guitar, followed by drums and ukulele. The top 10 also included recorder, violin, flute, trumpet, saxophone, and clarinet.

Pets Are the Norm – Dogs Just Ahead of Cats

Seventy-two percent of students reported having at least one pet in their household. Sixty-six percent had at least one dog, while sixty-two percent had at least one cat. Multiple pets were common. 23.9% of students said they had two or more dogs, and 8.4% had three or more. For cats, 28.6% had at least two, and 10.5% had three or more. The five most common pets were dogs, cats, fish, birds, and rabbits.

Screen Time Builds Across School Years

Screen time after school increases steadily as students progress through school. Year 3 students reported an average of around 1 hour and 25 minutes. By Year 7, that had roughly doubled. Girls averaged 2 hours and 35 minutes, and boys 2 hours and 50 minutes.

The trend continues through the secondary years. By Year 13, girls reported an average of 4 hours and 6 minutes of screen time after school, while boys averaged 3 hours and 36 minutes.

Devices in Bed. Common and Climbing

Overall, 61.5 percent of students said they used a device in bed the night before. Usage rises with age. Among Year 13 girls, 89.5 percent said they used a device in bed, as did 81.3 percent of Year 12 boys. From Year 7 onward, girls consistently reported higher usage than boys.

Fewer Students Feel Well-Rested by Year 13

Students in Years 3 to 8 were more likely to feel they got enough sleep, with 65.1 percent of girls and 71.7 percent of boys saying they felt rested. In contrast, this dropped to 54.0 percent for girls and 65.8 percent for boys in Years 9 to 13.

Sleep satisfaction generally declines with each school year. By Year 13, only 42 percent of students said they felt they got enough sleep the night before.

Favourite Foods. Sushi, Pizza, and Chicken Top the List

When asked “What is your favourite food?”, sushi came out on top, chosen by 15.2 percent of students. Pizza (9.7 percent) and chicken (8.6 percent) followed. 

Top 10 favourite foods:

1. Sushi
2. Pizza
3. Chicken
4. Pasta
5. Burger
6. Noodles
7. McDonald’s
8. Steak
9. Hot chips
10. KFC

Most Popular Future Jobs. Lawyer, Doctor, and Vet

Students were asked what job they want after finishing their studies. The most popular choices were lawyer (3.8 percent), doctor (3.0 percent), vet (2.1 percent), and teacher (2.1 percent).

Top 10 jobs students want:

1. Lawyer
2. Doctor
3. Vet
4. Teacher
5. Engineer
6. Police officer
7. Mechanic
8. Nurse
9. Builder
10. Pilot 

Tech Use. TikTok Tops Daily Use, YouTube Leads the Week

Students in Years 9 to 13 were asked which platforms they had used four or more times the previous day. TikTok (60.5 percent) narrowly beat out Snapchat (59.8 percent) and Instagram (55.9 percent). YouTube was used by 46.9 percent of students.

When asked which platforms they had used in the past week, YouTube led with 79.5 percent, followed by Snapchat (70.5 percent), Instagram (68.6 percent), and TikTok (68.5 percent). ChatGPT was used by 38.5% of high school students taking part. This is the first year CensusAtSchool has included questions about large language models and AI platforms like ChatGPT.

What’s Trending? “Sigma” Leads the Pack

Students were asked which word they thought was currently trending. The top response was “Sigma,” chosen by 14.4 percent of students. It was followed by Skibidi, Slay, and Huzz. Rizz peaked in February and March. In April and May, Skibidi took over, and by July, newer words like NPC, Jit, and Corecore were beginning to trend.

Top 10 trending words:

1. Sigma
2. Skibidi
3. Slay
4. Huzz
5. Rizz
6. Sybau
7. Dry
8. Bro
9. Gyatt
10. Aura

Dream Holidays. Japan Tops the List

Japan was the most popular destination students said they’d like to visit, chosen by 12.7 percent of students. Greece, Hawaii, and Fiji followed closely behind, with Australia, Italy, America, Paris, Europe, and Rarotonga also in the top 10.

Top 10 dream holiday destinations:

1. Japan
2. Greece
3. Hawaii
4. Fiji
5. Australia
6. Italy
7. America
8. Paris
9. Europe
10. Rarotonga

Rachel Cunliffe, co-director of CensusAtSchool, says the most powerful learning happens when students see themselves in the data – what’s popular, what’s different, and what’s changing. “It’s a snapshot of Kiwi life, straight from the source,” she says.

Anne Patel, co-director and professional teaching fellow at the University of Auckland, adds that students are discovering how data can be collected, analysed, and used to explore the world around them. “These are real skills with real impact,” she says.

About CensusAtSchool

CensusAtSchool TataurangaKiTeKura Aotearoa is a free, non-profit educational project that brings statistics to life in English and Māori-medium classrooms. Supervised by teachers, students from Years 3 to 13 take part anonymously online, answering a mix of fun and thought-provoking questions in English or te reo Māori.

The survey is developed and run by the Department of Statistics at the University of Auckland in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Stats NZ.

Explore the live dashboard, view the full questionnaire, or take part today:
www.censusatschool.org.nz

CensusAtSchool New Zealand – TataurangaKiTeKura Aotearoa launches today its twelfth biennial survey, giving students across Aotearoa the opportunity to explore real-world data about themselves. This large-scale national survey offers a fascinating snapshot of young people’s lives, experiences, and opinions.

Over the coming months, tens of thousands of students from Years 3–13 will take part, answering questions about everything from their screen time and tech use to their favourite foods, pets, sleep habits, gaming behaviour, and even what word they think is currently trending.

Supervised by teachers, students complete the survey anonymously online in English or te reo Māori. Alongside answering questions, they engage in hands-on activities such as measuring their height, foot length, wrist and thumb circumference, and testing their reaction speed and balance by timing how long they can stand on one leg with their eyes closed.

CensusAtSchool is a non-profit educational project, designed to make statistics engaging and relevant for tamariki and rangatahi. It is run by the Department of Statistics at the University of Auckland, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Stats NZ.

Rachel Cunliffe, co-director of CensusAtSchool, says:
“CensusAtSchool is such a brilliant way to bring statistics to life in the classroom! We’re putting real, relevant data into students’ hands so they can explore what life is like for their generation—while also growing their data science superpower skills.”

Pip Arnold, Statistics Educator and CensusAtSchool Resource Coordinator, says:
“CensusAtSchool gives students a unique opportunity to engage as both participants and data detectives. Since the first New Zealand survey in 2003, participation has grown significantly, and we’ve continually developed resources to support students and teachers. These resources help students collect quality data, understand the process of designing  questionnaires, and explore CensusAtSchool data in ways that align with current curriculum needs.”

The 2025 edition of CensusAtSchool is expected to be the biggest yet, with over 50,000 students anticipated to participate. As of launch day, 863 teachers from 490 schools have already registered.

Check out the questionnaire, explore the live dashboard, and see which schools are participating at: www.censusatschool.org.nz

In the latest CensusAtSchool survey, 39,000 students weighed in on the contentious debate: does pineapple belong on pizza? The results are in, showcasing a tight divide among Kiwi youth. While 47% advocate for its inclusion, 41% reject the idea of the South American fruit on top of their pizza. Surprisingly, 12% remained undecided.

According to Wikipedia, a Greek Canadian restauranter, Sam Panopoulos, inspired by the sweet-sour flavours of Chinese cuisine, added the first pineapple to a pizza just over 60 years ago and called it the Hawaiian pizza. The name “Hawaiian” surprisingly didn’t stem from the U.S. state but rather from the canned pineapple brand used at the time. Initially met with skepticism and slow adoption, this unconventional topping took time to win over pizza enthusiasts to become one of the most popular.

These statistics come from CensusAtSchool TataurangaKiTeKura, a non-profit online educational project that brings statistics to life in English and Māori-medium classrooms. Supervised by teachers, students anonymously answer questions in English, te reo Māori, Lea Faka Tonga, Gagana Samoa, Kūki ‘Airani Māori, or Vosa Vakaviti. The project is run by the Department of Statistics at the University of Auckland in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Stats NZ.

The eleventh biennial edition of CensusAtSchool was launched last year and will continue until the end of this year. See the questions, which schools are taking part, and a live dashboard on CensusAtSchool’s website: www.censusatschool.org.nz.

Snapchat has emerged as the top app among high school students, with 61% of them reporting that they used it four or more times the day before participating in the CensusAtSchool questionnaire. TikTok closely followed with 60%. In contrast, primary school students preferred YouTube, with 59% stating they used it four or more times, followed by TikTok at 29%.

These insights come from CensusAtSchool TataurangaKiTeKura, a non-profit online educational project that brings statistics to life in English and Māori-medium classrooms. Supervised by teachers, students anonymously answer 34 questions in English or te reo Māori. The project is run by the Department of Statistics at the University of Auckland in partnership with the Ministry of Education and Stats NZ. This year, around 35,000 students from 647 schools have participated in the project so far.

Apps Used Four or More Times the Day Before

High school students (Years 9-13):

• 61% Snapchat
• 60% TikTok
• 49% Instagram
• 48% YouTube
• 18% Discord
• 17% WhatsApp
• 12% Facebook
• 11% Pinterest
• 7% BeReal
• 5% Twitter

Primary school students (Years 3-8):

• 59% YouTube
• 29% TikTok
• 22% Snapchat
• 13% Discord
• 10% Instagram
• 9% WhatsApp
• 7% Pinterest
• 4% Facebook
• 2% Twitter
• 2% BeReal

Screen Time After School

High school students said they spent a median of 3.5 hours on screens after school the day before participating in the questionnaire. A quarter of them spent 5 hours or more on screens, while only 1.6% said they spent no time on screens after school that day.

Primary school students said they spent a median of 2 hours on screens after school the day before taking part, and a quarter of them spent 4 hours or more on screens. Additionally, 7.8% of the participants reported not spending any time on screens after school that day.

Co-director of CensusAtSchool Annel Patel says, “Screen time is a big issue in our home and my 8 and 10-year-old daughters don’t even have phones yet! We use tech to monitor their screen time, enforcing a daily two-hour limit and only allowing access to YouTube Kids. I’m mindful that my own screen habits set an example for my daughters’ healthy expectations.”

Online Blocking

Online blocking is also prevalent among high school students, with 33% stating that they had blocked someone online in the past week. This behaviour was more common with the younger high school students and females.

The CensusAtSchool team is collaborating with Tūturu – a modern approach to student wellbeing – to create a resource that helps students analyse and explore the CensusAtSchool data.

Annabel Prescott, Learning & Development Director for Tūturu at the NZ Drug Foundation, commented on the high percentage of students saying they had blocked someone within the past week. “Young people use blocking as a strategy to manage relationships and set boundaries. This is perceived by young people as very normal behaviour, and quite different from how adults engage with social media”.

“We are excited to be working with CensusAtSchool and health and education experts to develop a teaching resource that will help students explore data, what it means to them, their peers, and their wellbeing; and consider what health-promoting actions can be taken to help students navigate a digital world”.

The eleventh biennial edition of CensusAtSchool was launched on February 13 and will continue until the end of 2024. See the questions, which schools are taking part, and a live dashboard on CensusAtSchool’s website: www.censusatschool.org.nz.

Cookies and Cream is the favourite ice cream flavour by far according to over 20,000 young kiwis who have already taken part in this year’s CensusAtSchool survey. Almost a quarter of students chose Cookies and Cream as their favourite flavour, followed by 18% who chose Chocolate, and 11% who chose Vanilla.

Top 20 Favourite Ice Cream Flavours

1. Cookies and Cream
2. Chocolate
3. Vanilla
4. Mint Chocolate Chip
5. Strawberry
6. Hokey Pokey
7. Goody Goody Gum Drops
8. Cookie Dough
9. Boysenberry
10. Salted Caramel
11. Mango
12. Mint
13. Caramel
14. Orange Chocolate Chip
15. Chocolate Chip
16. French Vanilla
17. Chocolate Fudge
18. Neapolitan
19. Gold Rush
20. Passionfruit

In October 2022, Tip Top announced that it would stop making Goody Goody Gum Drops and Cookies and Cream 2-litre ice cream tubs. Cookies and Cream also won the Kids’ Choice Award at the New Zealand Ice Cream Awards last year.

The unique insight comes from CensusAtSchool TataurangaKiTeKura, a non-profit, online educational project that brings statistics to life. Supervised by teachers, students from Years 3-13 anonymously answer questions in English or te reo Māori on digital devices.

The eleventh biennial edition of CensusAtSchool TataurangaKiTeKura is expected to have the highest number of schools, teachers, and students participating. More than 40,000 schoolchildren are expected to participate in CensusAtSchool this year.

CensusAtSchool TataurangaKiTeKura is hosted by the Department of Statistics at the University of Auckland in association with Stats NZ and the Ministry of Education. CensusAtSchool is part of an international effort to boost statistical capability among young people.