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Source: ONE News -
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New schools will be built and others modernised with Budget funding which will also see more put into efforts to lift student achievement.
There's $1.7 billion over the next four years for this.
The 21st century school programme will receive the largest capital spending for education New Zealand has seen, with $523.3 million to expand, build and modernise schools.
The education investment follows the government fast tracking education funding in February worth $216.7 million.
As part of the infrastructure package to kickstart the economy, the government said it would be starting construction on five new schools - Mt Wellington Primary, Papamoa Primary, Kerikeri Primary, Hingaia Primary and Papamoa Secondary - by April 2010.
In addition, it allocated funds to help build and renovate existing school structures and improve broadband access to the schools with the greatest need.
Funding for raising achievement in schools includes $80 million in additional funding for day-to-day school operations, $36 million to support the Crusade for Literacy and Numeracy and $34 million to improve schools access to high speed broadband.
For the teachers, $169 million is being allocated in the coming year for pay rises for them, as well as $70 million over four years for salary increases for school caretakers, cleaners and ground staff.
There's also a $12.6 million reduction in the levy the government charges schools for international students, and $35 million to help make independent schools more affordable for more parents.
There's also additional funding to improve the education of students with special needs and behavioural issues including $51 million extra for Ongoing Reviewable Resourcing Schemes and $8 million to help manage disruptive pupils.
Early childhood
In early childhood education five-year-olds and children attending play centres and kohanga reo will be eligible for 20 hours of childhood education from July next year. A year later, the six-hour daily limit will be removed.
It's estimated up to 8,200 children will benefit from removal of the six hour cap and that up to 1,100 five-year-olds will be attending services that qualify for 20 hours early childhood education.
Currently this is available only to three and four year olds and a limited number of five year olds, and then only for a maximum of six hours a day up to a total of 20 hours a week.
The early childhood sector receives nearly $70 million in new money over the next four years.
Tertiary
The government says pressure on course subsidies will be addressed by an inflation-adjustment in 2010.
This will provide $127 million of extra funding to the tertiary institutions over four years.
Tertiary Education Minister Anne Tolley says this commitment was not funded by the previous government.
She says it made a number of other promises in tertiary education that they did not fund in last year's Budget, including scholarships for domestic and foreign students, increases to industry training funds and development of some new training programmes.
