Chris Hipkins
MP for Rimutaka
Education spokesperson
MEDIA STATEMENT

26 September 2016

Tolley’s spin on Education spend doesn’t add up

National’s spin about school funding won’t wash with parents who are paying more and more of the cost of their kids’ education every year, says Labour’s Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins.

“All the spin in the world can’t hide the fact that when it comes to dollars per pupil, New Zealand school funding lags well behind most of the countries we like to compare ourselves with including the US, the UK, Australia, Denmark and Norway.

"Anne Tolley says ‘no other OECD country spends a higher percentage of its public funding on education as New Zealand. This spin ignores the truth in this graph about the under investment in our children’s education.

“This may be a revelation to the National government, but it won’t be for parents who find themselves facing bigger bills for school donations, course fees, and supposedly optional ‘add-ons’ that are in reality critical to their children’s education.

“Labour has been very clear that we will increase school funding so they aren’t reliant on parental donations to make ends meet. I challenge National to match that commitment,” says Chris Hipkins.

ends

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