Phil Goff says the "untested" National Standards system the Govt is trying to push through won't succeed and should be delayed.

More than 200 schools are refusing to introduce part of the Government's mandatory national standards next year after voting "no confidence" in the system.

Nearly 900,000 people have taken student loans since the scheme started, and over two-thirds have not fully repaid the money back.

Whenever there are cuts to be made, it always seems to be down to the Education Minister to make them, writes Dita De Boni.

The 20 hours of free care children 3 and over receive in early childhood centres is under review.

Among the 24 state sector CEOs whose performance over the year had been reviewed, six were paid more, five were paid less and 13 stayed the same.

There is no new money to offer teachers a bigger pay increase unless they wanted to burden their students with a future of paying off national debt, says Prime Minister John Key.

The Ministry of Education says it will not dock the pay of secondary teachers striking this week as a show of good faith.

Anne Tolley says secondary school teachers striking over pay and conditions need to wake up to the economic reality of their situation.

As teachers reject the Govt's latest pay offer, the Education Minister says they simply don't have the kind of money being asked for.

Leading educationist Professor John Hattie has given a more glowing assessment of the education system than the Government often gives it.

A new national service looks ready to start next year to make sure every 16 or 17-year-old ends up in work or training after leaving school.