The Ministry of Education has been locked in a two-year battle with Talent2 and nearly scrapped the flawed payroll system four months before it went live.

John Key has defended his ministers who signed off the flawed Novopay system, saying they did not receive the best advice.

Newly released documents on the Novopay debacle show the testy nature of the relationship between Novopay developer Talent2 and the Ministry of Education.

The Government could still scrap the Novopay payroll system and has revealed that its back-up plan could include working with the previous payroll provider.

The boss of the company which owns Novopay is in Auckland ahead of a planned announcement by Cabinet minister Steven Joyce about how the Government will deal with the payroll system and its string of problems.

Education Minister Hekia Parata has been blasted for calling it "karma" that staff in her own ministry had not been paid, as she faced more controversy.

Children are increasingly being asked by schools to take digital devices to their lessons, amid warnings that the trend is piling more financial pressure on parents.

The Ministry of Education recently made it tougher for students with learning disabilities to continue their studies and attain the qualifications, writes David Matthews.

A private investigator has begun knocking on doors across Auckland in a heightened game of cat-and-mouse pitting prominent schools against desperate parents.

Two women who accused a male teacher of having sex with them failed in a bid to have their complaint heard in public.

Although parents can be fairly sure that school will provide their children with grounding in the basics - the question has to be asked: will it get them ready to deal with life in a fast and unpredictable world?

There's a lot more to modern schooling than the three Rs. One Hamilton school is teaching boys the three Ts: tie tying, tyre changing and steak cooking.

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.

Waikohu Ranginui is not your usual high school student.

Nine New Zealand students have aced an internationally recognised exam by scoring 100 per cent in a subject, an extremely difficult feat.

John Key's dramatic Cabinet reshuffle displays a streak of ruthlessness hitherto rarely seen in a New Zealand prime minister.

Doctorate degrees can earn graduates more than double the national median wage five years after capping, a Ministry of Education report has found.

Parents can now pay school fees in some bookstores while picking up stationery packs as the battle for back-to-school dollars heats up.

A teacher at a Christian school has admitted to an inappropriate relationship with a student - one of 11 teachers found guilty of serious misconduct last year.