The Ministry of Education is not yet confident that the Novopay school payroll system will handle the busy pay rounds at the start of next year.
Education Secretary Peter Hughes has told Parliament's Education and Science Committe he is confident the payroll system will handle the end-of-year process.
But Mr Hughes told MPs on the select committee he is not yet confident about the start of next year.
Novopay caused significant disruption in the pay of thousands of school staff after it was introduced in August last year.
