Stories by John Gerritsen

Schools are bracing themselves for roll growth and last-minute enrolments as they prepare to reopen from Monday next week.

A Northland father is unhappy that a university is charging students $500 extra if they cannot afford to pay their hostel fees in one go.

Polytechnics have had another terrible year with one institute losing 1000 full-time students, mid-year enrolment figures indicate.

Less than a third of the tertiary students in the zero-fee scheme last year came from decile 1 to 5 schools, Tertiary Education Commission figures show.

Schools are ignoring the rules that protect them from fraud and failing to report the crime when it happens, an accounting expert warns.

Big secondary schools are feeling short-changed by the government's staffing system and they want it reviewed.

A declining love of reading and rising classroom disruption could be to blame for New Zealand's poor results in a major international test.

More than 300 integrated schools are challenging the government's decision to leave them out of its $400 million boost for maintenance.

Students at an Auckland secondary school are rediscovering the joy of card games, lunch time play and the simple art of conversation thanks to a total ban on phones during the school day.

There are early signs principals and teachers will support the biggest overhaul of the school system in 30 years.

Schools will no longer have the right to manage their enrolment zones and there will be minimum standards for prospective principals under reforms announced by government.

A Waikato school is figuring out how to treat students addicted to nicotine through vaping, with symptoms that include anxiety, irritability and headaches.

There's a forecasted shortfall of 1000 teachers in 2020 and some principals say because of that, they're hiring overseas teachers they would not normally consider.

A ban on some foods in early childhood centres is being considered because they pose a high choking risk. Audio

A parent is gutted the Ministry of Education has failed to find out who forged a signature on an attendance form for his son's early childhood centre.

Teenagers say vaping is addicting their friends to nicotine, and a Rotorua principal is urging the government to introduce tighter restrictions on vaping before the end of the year.

The government's school donation scheme has highlighted widespread abuse of the rules that govern what schools can charge parents for and principals are expecting a crack-down.

Teachers should plan on having to wait several months before they receive new practising certificates, as a fast processing deal has ended.

Some schools are facing a tough decision over the government's scheme to abolish donations in decile 1-7 schools.

The National Foundation for Deaf and Hard of Hearing is alarmed by the rates of hearing loss it has found among 13 and 14-year-olds.

The New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) wants an immediate 11 percent pay rise to help early childhood teachers close a big pay gap with kindergarten and school teachers.

Significant and persistent quality problems centred on foreign students could see an entire class of qualification abolished.

School decile numbers will be dumped by 2022 at the latest and replaced by a new index based on indicators such as family income and transience between schools.

Apprenticeships and trade certificates could soon be elevated to the same official status as university diplomas and degrees, industry training organisations say.

Primary schools are contesting the Ministry of Education's staffing estimates which they say will give them too few teachers next year.