Smaller new entrant classrooms finally funded

Education Minister Christ Carter. Photo / Herald on Sunday

Schools will get $215 million over the next four years to help to reduce new entrant class sizes to 15 - a level promised by Labour in 2005.

Education Minister Chris Carter said the $182 million in operating funding and $33.5m in capital funding, announced in the budget today, would provide for extra classrooms and 762 new teachers.

"We know that school is a big step for youngsters. This funding will ensure they have the best education start possible."

The funding followed yesterday's announcement that schools would get a $172m boost to operating funding over the next four years.

Early childhood education also gets a boost in the budget - $64m over four years - to help the sector meet increased costs.

Other education funding in the budget included:

* $75m in capital and $20m in operating funding over the next three years to complete nine schools announced in last year's budget and for two new schools and 130 new classrooms;

* $18.4m over four years for students with high needs;

* the redirection of $6.1m of the existing budget over four years for specialist staff to support blind and vision impaired students;

* $1.8 billion over five years for teacher wage settlements.

- NZPA