This information does not include the funding provided for learning support property modifications, which are in the school property overview.

School property

Key initiatives#

The following key initiatives will be implemented,

• $22 million to continue to support students with a significant health condition to attend school, including through teacher aides.
• $10 million to help schools meet increased demand for the English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) programme. 
• $3 million to address cost and volume pressures for Deaf education services in schools and for Deaf parents (of children in early learning and schools).
• $8 million to deliver mandatory training to 20,000 core children’s workers in response to the recommendations of the Dame Karen Poutasi review. 
• $213 million for the Healthy School Lunches Programme to support children’s wellbeing. This funding supports the provision of daily lunches for over 240,000 students in 1,014 schools and kura, and food for 8,500 children in 323 early learning services and kōhanga reo.

Learning support#

School High Health Needs Fund#

• $22 million opex

This will respond to volume pressure, providing teacher aide support for students with a significant health condition to attend school. It includes:

• an additional 100 eligible students for teacher aide support, funded at 17 hours per week
• 1 FTE for an advisor to support the increased volume of applications, reviews, assessments and information requests.

ESOL programmes#

• $10 million opex

This will help schools meet increased demand for the ESOL programmes. This demand is from new immigration and New Zealand-born children of migrants and refugees. It provides:

• $10 million for ESOL funding, bringing the annual budget to $73 million
• support for an additional 12,000 students who need extra support to learn English in all school years
• funding for schools to purchase targeted resources and/or specialist teachers/teacher aides to support students to learn English.

Deaf education#

• $3 million opex

This will address cost and volume pressures for Deaf education services in schools and for Deaf parents (of children in early learning and schools). It includes:

• 31 additional places in First Signs and a reduction in the 6-week waitlist for services
• 20 additional students being supported within NZSL immersion hubs
• additonal funding for interpreter services for Deaf parents to enable them to participate in their children’s education.

Ready to Learn#

• $12.1 million opex

A new pilot programme aimed at supporting children and young people to attend and engage in school, improving stability and qualification outcomes.

Training for core children’s workers#

• $8.2 million opex

This establishes a tagged operating contingency to deliver mandatory training for core children’s workers in response to the recommendations made in the Dame Karen Poutasi review. The funding includes:

• development and delivery of training modules
• training for 20,000 workers over the first 2 years
• evaluation and monitoring of the initiative.

Healthy School Lunches#

• $212.4 million opex
• $0.9 million capex    

Funding the delivery of the Healthy School Lunches programme and some programme innovations. The programme delivers lunches to 240,000 students in over 1,000 schools and 8,500 students in early learning.