Schools back donations scheme for the second year

“The families of more than 447,000 students will be better off next year, with 94% of eligible schools and kura opting into the scheme,” Education Minister Chris Hipkins said.

This is the second year we have offered to fund school donations to help kiwi families whose children attend decile 1-7 schools.

“The high rates of schools signing up shows that there’s strong support in our communities for the initiative to continue.

“It’s one of the ways the Government’s putting free back into free education at a time when many families may be feeling more financial pressure due to COVID-19.

“The $150 per student donations replacement scheme will see over $67 million in Government funding go to 1,664 schools nationwide next year.

“We made sure schools had plenty of time to opt in for next year to allow for any disruptions to their planning and administration during the COVID-19 Alert Level measures. 

“The donations scheme is an annual opt-in process which means the schools that choose not to take part may participate in a subsequent year.

“This has been a tough year for everyone and I want to thank teachers and principals for their part in ensuring that students have what they need to be able to learn from home during the lockdown,” Chris Hipkins said.