The education sector has had to come up with more than half of the $1.9 billion to fund new education initiatives over the next four years.

The number of young people aged 20 to 24 with no income almost trebled between 1996 and 2006, according to new figures.

The Govt can afford interest-free student loans but there needs to be more respect for taxpayer funding, John Key says.

When 13-year-old Rennie Qin arrived from China four years ago she couldn't speak English and her parents couldn't afford to send her to the "good schools" - but that wasn't enough to stop her from striving for the top.

Tertiary education providers will lose some funding if their students suffer high failure and drop out rates, Steven Joyce says.