Despite the Government agreeing to inject $5 million into fixing Novopay, Otago principals say the fact remains that 98% of schools in New Zealand have little or no confidence in the beleaguered payroll system.
Alert readers will have noticed there has been a flurry of documents about Novopay released recently under the Official Information Act.
Sir Maarten Wevers has been appointed to head the Ministerial inquiry into controversial education payroll system Novopay.
Otago principals say the Government's plan for a ministerial inquiry and technical audit on the beleaguered Novopay payroll system is a step in the right direction, but say it is ''critical'' a deadline for fixing the system is set.
Talent2 has seriously breached its Novopay contract with the Ministry of Education, which could legally wash its hands of the failing payroll system, a contract law specialist at the University of Otago's Faculty of Law believes.
The Auditor-General has announced it is monitoring problems with the Novopay system; however, it is not investigating the Ministry of Education's payroll system at this stage.
A computer software engineering specialist says it would be easier to dump the Novopay payroll system and rebuild it from scratch than repair its compounding problems.
Labour education spokesman Chris Hipkins says the prime minister's decision to hand responsibility for the vexed Novopay system to Steven Joyce is a sign of his lack of confidence in Education Minister Hekia Parata.
Schools are being warned to prepare for more problems with underpayments in the first two pay rounds of the school year.
The Novopay payroll debacle could financially cripple some schools, forcing them to close, if something is not done quickly, principals across the country are warning.
The Education Ministry is unfazed that a payroll error gave a Dunedin man $1700 even though he is not a teacher.
A Northland principal is calling for heads to roll at the Education Ministry as the Novopay debacle continues into the Christmas holiday period.
Retail banks across New Zealand have stepped in to help school staff financially affected by the Novopay debacle.
Geoff O'Halloran, deputy principal of Tawa College, Wellington, explains why he thinks the Novopay payroll system will benefit schools.
Auckland's primary school principals are refusing to take on any new work with the Ministry of Education until it resolves ongoing problems with its new payroll system.
Ministry of Education staff will meet Otago Primary Principals' Association executive members today to discuss the problems with the ministry's embattled Novopay payroll system.
