Hon Hekia Parata
Minister of Education

11 May 2016

Budget 2016: More kids to get teacher aide help

An extra 1250 students will benefit from extra teacher aides thanks to a $15.3 million Budget 2016 funding increase for in-class support, Education Minister Hekia Parata announced today.

“The operating funding increase, to be spread over four years, will ensure that students with a range of learning difficulties receive support tailored to their individual learning needs,” Ms Parata says.

“Together with the increased funding in last year’s Budget, the Government is now funding an extra 550,000 hours of classroom support for students with additional learning needs.”

Students who qualify will receive five hours of teacher aide assistance each week.
“I know from my visits to schools that teacher aides play an invaluable role in the classroom, working alongside our teachers to enable students with additional learning needs to become more independent and confident,” Ms Parata says.

“Today’s announcement is the second phase of honouring the Government’s commitment to provide teacher aide support to an extra 4000 students with special learning needs. It means an extra 2750 students will now benefit from extra in-class support.

“We will be looking to expand funding for more teacher aides in future Budget rounds,” Ms Parata says.

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