Several Christchurch hotels have slashed room rates in the wake of Christchurch's "horrendous" magnitude 7.1 quake, with one hotel chief saying everybody needed to "chip in".

Most Canterbury schools today reopened after the September 4 magnitude 7.1 earthquake, but aftershocks continue.

A drunk Auckland high school pupil was taken to hospital after falling over and knocking his head in a physical education class.

Some 1200 Canterbury school children will not be able to return to their schools for weeks.

Secondary teachers' plans to go on strike next month show they disconnected from the real world, Prime Minister John Key says.

The Rotorua Girls' High School ball went ahead without Kristi-Rae Ruri-Gardiner, who died in a car accident a month ago.

The teacher stabbed by a Korean student at Avondale College has been criticised in an inquiry into the incident.

A shoplifting spree in Queenstown has concluded with four boys expelled from their Melbourne school.

Thousands have farewelled a teenage girl killed while driving with friends to pick up their school ball gowns.

Kristi-Rae Ruri-Gardiner was well known for her kind and giving nature and finally donated her organs.

A boy's death-defying plunge from the top storey of an apartment block was the latest in a string of serious incidents involving King's students.

Education Minister Anne Tolley has told principals they should stop talking to the media and focus on implementing the controversial national standards.

Teachers who were sacked or quit over alarming conduct remained registered to teach on the official database that is supposed to warn parents and schools.