6 November 2012
Media release
Further Assistance To Help Schools With Payroll System
The Ministry of Education and its payroll provider Talent2 will be providing further assistance to schools to help
address issues with the new payroll system.
The Secretary for Education, Lesley Longstone, says the Ministry is listening carefully to all feedback about the
Novopay system and will be making extra help available to schools.
“We have had teams out working in schools in recent weeks to provide payroll administrators with on-site support. This
has had such a good response from schools we’re looking to increase the numbers.
“We have also had a Novopay road show out since Friday and have had very useful feedback from schools and administrators
as the team has visited different centres. Some schools have requested additional road shows which we are happy to put
on.”
Ms Longstone says the road show provides a chance for payroll administrators to receive training on how to input
end-of-year data into the new system.
“We know there is a cost involved in travelling to these, so financial support is being made available to assist schools
with the cost of staff attending road shows.
“We are also aware schools may have additional audit costs related to the introduction of the new system and we will
provide support as appropriate.
“The Ministry is continuing to meet daily with the payroll provider Talent2. I can assure schools that we have made our
expectations very clear and I have demanded an increase in Talent2’s staffing.
“I understand the frustration being expressed by some principals and their staff. I want to thank them for all the work
they have been doing and ask them to continue working with us to make sure we get this right.
“While this is difficult in the short term, long term benefits of the system will make it worthwhile.”
ENDS