The coalition Government has announced an investment of NZD 2.93 billion in education over the next four years to improve student outcomes.
Education Minister Erica Stanford said the increased investment would lift educational achievement.
"The investment includes extra funding for new classrooms, additional teacher support and early childhood education,” Stanford said.
“It also includes previously announced additional funding for structured literacy, more teachers, the school lunches programme, charter schools and period products in schools.
“Education has the power to change lives. We want every child to have the opportunity to gain the skills and qualifications they need to achieve their potential.”
The additional funding has increased the total investment in schools and early childhood education by 3.6 percent in the coming year to NZD 19.1 billion. Savings of NZD 429 million within Vote Education have been redirected to higher-priority frontline areas within education.
Key investments made in the 2024 Budget include an additional NZD 1.48 billion for education and NZD 478 million operating funding for Ka Ora Ka Ako to continue the Healthy School Lunches Programme for two years, with NZD 8 million dedicated to introducing a targeted early childhood food programme.
The government will also invest NZD 199 million over four years, including a three percent increase for Schools Equity and Isolation Index based components and a 2.5 percent increase for the remaining components of school operating grants.
“The additional investment in school property, which includes funding for new schools and classrooms, school maintenance and depreciation, will help ensure kids can learn in safe, warm and dry schools and that the school property portfolio can expand to accommodate more students,” said Stanford.
“This investment will also allow us to make repairs and upgrades to existing buildings, improving these learning environments for students and their teachers.”
Further investments will also benefit digital services in schools, the establishment of charter schools, the implementation of structured literacy in all state primary schools, to support the increase of ESOL students, and for Holidays Act Remediation for school employees based on an updated estimate of liability.
The funding will also provide NZD 53 million over four years for teacher supply, retention, and attraction initiatives.
“Together with the other investments we are making in education, these investments demonstrate the Government’s commitment to lifting student achievement,” said Stanford.
“We’re determined to improve achievement for all children by establishing a knowledge-rich curriculum, improving reading and maths outcomes, implementing consistent ways of monitoring student progress, improving teacher training, providing better support to students with additional needs and making greater use of data.”
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