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National | Education

$12.3 mill to help students who are under achieving

Schools in Aotearoa are set to receive a share of an extra $12.3 million to support students at risk of under achieving.

Education Minister Hekia Parata says, "This extra funding represents a 1 percent increase to the $1.35 billion in operations grants funding for 2017.

Unlike in previous years, the increased money is being targeted to those students at risk of under achievement. These are students from families on long term welfare, as evidence shows that these students are one of the biggest groups at risk of not being successful at school."

Parata adds, “Working together with the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) we have identified around 133,000 students in this situation, attending all but 15 of our smallest schools.

That means that 99.4 per cent of eligible schools will be getting extra funding.”

Schools have been notified of the exact amount they will be receiving in the targeted funding. They will be getting $92 per eligible student, as opposed to just $16 under a blanket distribution.

Overall, this means some schools will receive a few hundred dollars whilst others are getting up to $57,000 with one exception receiving the most at $109,000, reflecting the challenges their students face.

“The education sector has been asking for more funding for students at greatest risk of educational underachievement, which is exactly what we’re doing with this targeted funding,” says Ms Parata.

Low decile schools, and regions with large numbers of students ‘at risk’ of educational underachievement are said to benefit most from the targeted funding increase.

In the Waikato, all 273 schools will receive additional funding, as well as in Auckland and the region taking in Bay of Plenty, Rotorua and Taupō.

“Alongside the targeted funding, schools are also being told today what their share of the operations grant funding will be for 2017. However, this is only an initial indicator, and will not be finalised until schools file their March 2017 roll returns with the Ministry of Education,” says Ms Parata.