Scepticism over Budget funds for schools

Education Minister Nikki Kaye says Budget 2017 has delivered the largest injection of new money into education since the Government took office in 2008.But Otago school leaders are sceptical.

It was announced yesterday $1.5 billion would be invested in schools and early education over the next four years.

Nikki Kaye. Photo Getty
Nikki Kaye. Photo Getty

The funding boost comes in the form of an additional $1.1 billion of new operating funding, plus an additional $392.4 million of capital funding.

''This is a significant investment in our children and in New Zealand's future, designed to keep improving achievement and deliver the best results for our children,'' Ms Kaye said.

Early childhood education providers will receive an additional $386 million of operating funding over the next four years to provide a further 31,000 early learning places, and $35.5 million to support children most at risk of under achievement.

Primary and secondary schools will receive an extra $458.9 million in operating funding over the next four years, largely to meet increasing pupil numbers.

Another $60.5 million will be used to boost schools' Operational Grant Funding by 1.3%, while schools with high numbers of at-risk pupils will receive a 2.67% increase in their Targeted At Risk Funding (bringing the total increase for this component to 4%).

The Budget also provides $456.5 million for school property, which will be used to build six new schools, expand two schools, create 11 special education satellite units and 305 new classrooms nationwide.

Ms Kaye said the Government would announce further details about the property projects over the coming months.

A further $31.9 million would be provided over four years for land purchases to ensure the Government could build new schools as demand grows, she said.

Another $63.3 million of operating funding will be invested over the next four years to support pupils with additional learning needs.

This will be done by providing teacher aide hours for an extra 625 pupils per year, and expanding specialist behavioural services.

Ms Kaye said $7.6 million would also be made available over the next four years for Maori language curriculum resources, $9.4 million to support pupils with English as another language through the ESOL programme, and$810,000 over the next two years would be made available to support schools in Kaikoura in the wake of the November earthquake.

''This Government is committed to supporting all our schools and early learning services to deliver the best education possible to ensure that every young New Zealander has the opportunity to achieve.''

Otago Secondary Principals' Association secretary Gordon Wilson said on the surface, Budget 2017 looked like ``an increase in spending for Vote Education''.

''However, until we see the detail, it is difficult to know whether this is an actual increase that is new money.

''It may well only be funding to cover inflation, increase in student numbers and the ongoing property replacement.

''On first glance, this does not seem to cover the real burden schools are facing, in particular with operations funding not covering increased costs.''

Early Childhood Council chief executive officer Peter Reynolds said the budget had ``stripped'' funding from children in early childhood education for the seventh year in a row.

He said the funding this year had been taken by making no inflation adjustment to key subsidies.

The new cuts would mean higher charges for families, some of which would struggle to pay; enhanced risk qualified teachers would be replaced with the unqualified; the further loss of professional development essential for keeping teachers up to date; and the loss of financial surpluses necessary to maintain buildings and play equipment.

New Zealand Principals' Federation president and Bathgate Park School principal Whetu Cormick was also sceptical of the budget, but said some of the positives were the increased funding for children with severe behavioural issues, mental health in schools, Maori curriculum resources, and pupils with language and listening issues.
 

Education Budget 2017

- $1.5b boost for schools and early education
- $386m to provide 31,000 more early learning places
- $35.5m to support children most at risk of under achievement
- $456.5m to build six new schools, expand two schools, create 11 special education satellite units and 305 new
classrooms nationwide
- $63.3m to support pupils with learning needs and expand specialist behavioural services

 

 

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