New Zealand universities have spent more than $250,000 dishing out honorary degrees to celebrities and visiting dignitaries, a Herald investigation into the eight institutions has found.

It is said that Napoleon, on being told of the impressive attributes of a new general, asked, "But is he lucky?"

Newly released Treasury papers show it was sceptical about the chances charter schools will improve student performance .

The head of the company behind the Novopay payroll system has apologised to school staff left unpaid but says he's "bamboozled'' anyone would be in that position.

The Government has spent more than $1 million on consultants as part of the switch over to Novopay, but ignored the results, Labour says.

Parata may have been relieved when the State Services Commissioner told her this week that Longstone had agreed to resign, writes Audrey Young.

Secretary for Education Lesley Longstone has resigned after a relationship breakdown with the Minister of Education Hekia Parata, and will receive a payout. State Services Commissioner Iain Rennie announced today he had been in "talks" with Ms Longstone for a month, and a joint decision had been reached between them three weeks ago.

A high school teacher who slapped a student's head during a tussle over a pen has been censured by the Teachers Council.

With a product as healthy as milk, this is one child-directed selling ploy that is not going to upset the nutritionists or, for that matter, parents, writes Brian Rudman.

A primary school teacher has been arrested and charged with indecently assaulting pupils at the Auckland school where he worked.

After 90 years at Western Springs, Auckland Zoo is opening a "show home" for endangered New Zealand species on Rotoroa Island in the Hauraki Gulf.

A Castlecliff principal has quit the profession he loves after 24 years, slamming schools becoming businesses and the advent of National Standards.

The recent small surge in reports recounting child poverty in New Zealand make grim reading, writes Paul Moon, especially as so many of the conditions blighting children's lives can easily be remedied.

2013 will see an escalation of an ideological war over the heart and soul of schooling in this country, writes Peter O'Connor.

It can be stressful sending your child to school and not knowing if they will be able to avoid the food they are allergic to or if staff know what to do in an emergency.