Chris Hipkins
MP for Rimutaka

Education Spokesperson

MEDIA STATEMENT

4 May 2016

School funding falls by $150 per student

Parents are having to fork out even more for their kids’ education after the Government cut school funding per student by $150 in the past year, Labour’s Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins says.

“According to the Education Ministry, its total per student funding to schools fell from $7,195 to $7,046 in 2015.

“When adjusted for inflation, Government funding is now lower than it was in National’s first year in office.

“A free education is a value that most New Zealanders hold dear. But unless the Government funds a free education system, parents are going to end up paying and that’s what’s happening now.

“As a result, many parents are feeling the squeeze as the cost of uniforms, class activities and camps increase. Recent CPI figures showed the cost of education is rising at 10 times the rate of inflation.

“The rising costs of schooling was one of the main concerns raised by parents in a recent survey on education carried out by Labour.

“The simple reality is that school is no longer free for kids in New Zealand and the National Government is out of touch with the struggle most families are facing,” Chris Hipkins says.

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