There are hopes replacing the decile system with an equity index will give schools fairer reputations.

If re-elected, the Labour Party promises to allocate funding to schools based on the number of disadvantaged students.

It'll mean schools are no longer referred to as being low or high decile - depending on the neighbourhood they're in.

Onehunga High School Principal Deidre O'Shea told Heather du Plessis-Allan it will need to be different from the shocking numbering system.

She says the intention was never for it to stigmatise as it has done, which people will be looking to mitigate.

Meanwhile, the Rotorua Marathon's lost a lot of runners who can't get a full refund

Because of uncertainty of Covid-19 Alert Levels, Athletics NZ, has excluded about 600 of the two-thousand entrants because they're from Auckland.

Chief executive Peter Pfitzinger says the ban's because Aucklanders need to behave as if they're still in their city, which has gathering limits.

He says offering a half refund is the same call made when the original May event was postponed.

But Pfitzinger says they can transfer their entry to next year, or for someone else to compete next year.

• Rotorua Marathon can't include Aucklanders this year; offering only 50 per cent refund
• Labour's education policy - extra $600m for childcare teachers, replace decile system

Listen above as Josie Pagani and Tim Wilson join Heather du Plessis-Allan on The Huddle to discuss the day's news