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The government has announced one of its Budget handouts a day early - an extra $170 million towards the operational funding of schools to cover day to day running costs.
But some educationalists say the money is not going where it's most needed and the National party says the 5% funding increase is too little, too late.
Education Minister Chris Carter says the funding represents the biggest increase since 2001.
Carter, who was paying a visit to Matipo School in West Auckland on Wednesday, said the increase would go into schools' operations budgets.
The operations budget pays for items outside of teacher salaries and building costs such as equipment for information, communication and technology (ICT) programmes.
The funding means a large secondary school such as Rangitoto College on Auckland's North Shore will see its operational funding increase from $1,983,570 in 1999 to $3,993,326 next year.
"This money will help schools provide technology and a wide range of other resources, everything from library books to support staff," says Carter.
Of the $171.6 million, $65.3 million is earmarked especially for ICT.
"Our education system needs to prepare our young people for a rapidly-changing world, particularly in the area of information technology, and to provide a world class education for all students," says Carter.
He says New Zealand's education system needs to prepare young people for a rapidly changing world, particularly in the area of information technology.
And it could make that operating budget go a little bit further - as Matipo School's principal Wayne Bainbridge says, ICT costs money all the time.
"It's like the Black Hole of Calcutta."
The School Trustees Association, which has been actively campaigning for more funding, welcomes the announcement, but says it will not go far enough to relieve pressure on parents. The Association says mothers, fathers, and caregivers are presently responsible for raising $500 million a year, as against government contributions through operational funding of around $1 billion a year.
They also believe information and communication technology needs to be funded a provision of core free education, instead of making up a growing chunk of the operational budget.
The opposition has attacked the timing of the provisions.
National education spokeswoman Anne Tolley says that over the past nine years, the government has done very little."
"Then, five months out from an election and suddenly we have some cash. We've seen the ministry grow fat and schools have been starved of funding. This is a pretty cynical move on behalf of the minister hoping it will get the sector off his back."
The Post Primary Teachers Association is also critical, and argues the cost of inflation will account for four of the 5% increase. The increase does come on top of a 1.2% increase in 2007 to cover the increased cost of inflation, however.
The PPTA also stresses staffing is where extra help is most
needed, and still hopes the budget will give current staff some
relief.
