The Government will pump $300 million into building 300 new classrooms, something Prime Minister Chris Hipkins says will help ease pressure on the system.
A further $100m would be added to education infrastructure funding, aimed at helping build up to four new schools and school expansions.
Hipkins made the pre-Budget announcement alongside Education Minister Jan Tinetti at Ridgway School in Wellington, which received funding last year for classroom rebuilds.
Hipkins said the targeted funding, which will be a part of this year's Budget, would help "fix years of underfunding, overcrowding and decay" in schools and classrooms.
“Budget 2023 will build 300 more classrooms across the country, helping to ease existing pressures while accounting for future population growth.
“That creates 6600 new student spaces to ease the pressure on school rolls, both in the short term with the immediate establishment of 2200 places, and in the long term, with funding for a further 4400 places to account for future roll growth.
“Since 2017 we have worked to fix the foundations of our education system by upgrading every school in the country and funding over 2700 new classrooms to create 60,000 more student places,” Chris Hipkins said.
“Targeted funding of $300 million from Budget 2023 will fund this further to support the sector’s needs, with $200 million for permanent roll growth, and $100 million to address shorter term pressures on school rolls."
Tinetti - a former school principal - said schools and classrooms that were "modern, warm, dry and fit for purpose" made teaching easier, kids more comfortable and helped to improve attendance and achievement.
“I have seen some of our ageing, damp and cold classrooms up close, in fact I’ve taught in them. And it’s frankly not good enough. Previous governments may have been OK with that but we’re not.
“We want kids to look forward to coming to school and spending time in class, and parents to know their children are safe, well, and working to unlock their full potential."
A Government statement said further announcements would be made on Budget Day - May 18 - in relation to investment in education infrastructure to support the Kaupapa Māori and Māori medium education sectors, as part of a wider Māori education package.
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