Call centres set up to deal with teachers' payroll problems have taken more than 800 calls after the first pay round of the school year, with hundreds of problems reported.

Angry parents in a small coastal town claim changes to a school bus route will put children's lives at risk.

The Korean parents of a Year 7 student are being billed more than $6000 by an Auckland school for helping to improve his knowledge of English.

Prime Minister John Key mounted a strong defence of Education Minister Hekia Parata today in a speech during annual Ratana celebrations.

Editorial: The charter schools proposal has not been so contentious that the Government would fear its exposure to criticism. Since the critics are mostly busy teachers the legislative calendar might have done them a favour,

Several months ago, Education Minister Hekia Parata called a meeting in her office to discuss the vexed issue of Christchurch school restructuring. Post Primary Teachers' Association president Robin Duff was among those invited to the evening meeting.

The Government has spent more than $1 million on consultants as part of the switch over to Novopay, but ignored the results, Labour says.

Retail banks across New Zealand have stepped in to help school staff financially affected by the Novopay debacle.

Editorial: Steven Joyce is not the first Tertiary Education Minister to be frustrated by the discrepancy between the courses offered by universities and what the country needs.

A Maori unit within the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment will be set up to drive a government plan to lift Maori economic performance.