Box 56482
Dominion Road
Auckland
15 April 2013
Media Release:
Prime Minister Increases Kings College Funding By An Eye-Watering 40% In Just Two Years
Today’s revelation that the government is giving active consideration to increasing state subsidies to private schools
in the budget (RNZ story today) is another sickening example of the National/Act/Maori Party government’s distorted
priorities.
Government subsidies to private schools have increased dramatically since John Key took office four years ago.
When public schools are being told funding is limited in tough economic times the government has been pouring money hand
over fist into elite private schools which are the schools of choice for National/Act cabinet ministers.
For example at the Prime Minister’s school of choice for his son, Kings College, government subsidies increased by an
eye-watering 40% ($1,663,585 to $2,325,587) from 2009 to 2011.
The figures for all private schools are shocking.
Consider these examples:200920102011Kings College1,663,585 2,152,669 2,325,587 St Cuthbert’s2,027,070 2,553,203 2,836,908 Kristin School2,222,284 2,734,602 2,912,394 AGC Parnell789,880 1,206,459 1,426,547 Diocesan School2,057,681 2,740,298 2,940,455 Scot’s College1,072,9201,378,0841,509,437Christ’s College1,172,637 1,461,804 1,633,170 Rangi Ruru1,160,0131,446,8971,580,950
Less than 4% of New Zealand children attend private schools and yet they have become the first priority for National in
its education policy release.
In the lead-up to the budget QPEC urges the government to abandon plans to put another layer of icing on the private
school cake and instead provide extra funding for the schools expected to educate the increasing numbers of victims of
the government’s economic policies.
John Minto
National Chairperson
ENDS