In the 2025 Budget, there is a slowdown in the growth of education spending as previous investments in school infrastructure come to an end. However, there is still an increase in spending on teaching and learning, particularly focusing on support for children with disabilities.
Education Minister Erica Stanford announced new education initiatives totaling $2.5 billion over four years, with a portion of that amount being reallocated from underperforming programs. The government’s overall expenditure on early childhood and school education is set to rise to $19.85 billion in 2025-26 but will decrease in the following years.
One of the significant changes in the Budget is the discontinuation of the Kahui Ako school-clustering scheme to allocate more funds towards learning support, including expanding early intervention services and providing additional support for students with high needs.
Furthermore, the Budget includes investments in curriculum development, property maintenance, the teaching workforce, Māori education, and attendance initiatives. There will also be an increase in subsidies for both early childhood services and private schools.
Despite the funding cuts to certain programs, the government aims to redirect resources to more effective education initiatives, resulting in a net five-year impact of $1.69 billion. Tertiary funding will also see an increase, particularly in science, teacher education, and health courses.
Overall, the Budget reflects a strategic shift in education spending to prioritize teaching quality, student support, and curriculum development for the future.
