Student Tae Won Chung stabbed his teacher after being goaded about his fear of North Korea and returning home to military training, a court hears.

A 17-year-old Auckland student will appeal a jail term handed down today for stabbing his teacher in the back in class.

Five students have had their rugby dreams restored after an appeal committee overturned "manifestly excessive" playing bans for a violent brawl.

Five students from Auckland's Kelston Boys High School banned from playing rugby for their part in a brawl with rival Auckland Grammar School players have had their sentences drastically reduced.

South Island mayors have been quick to say "no thanks" to the prospect of the Undie 500 student rally moving to their neck of the woods.

Only 2 per cent of high schools are ready for an extensive overhaul of the national curriculum in five months, a report says.

The University of Otago says it will come down hard on students whose "loutish behaviour" at the weekend threatened its reputation.

The mother of a Tokoroa boy critically injured in a hit-and-run attack says the town is a safe place to live despite the attack.

Mother claims son had his entire body run over and was left with tyre marks on his back.

Police have charged 67 people following the riots in Dunedin over the weekend as the Undie 500 event came to town.

An 18-year-old Rotorua man faces attempted murder charges after a Tokoroa boy was chased and run over.

The mayor of Dunedin wants students involved in weekend riots to be punished without regard for their future careers.

Police ran out of pepper spray against an angry mob of around 600 during more ugly Undie 500 related scenes last night.