4. Schools—Operational Funding and Funding per StudentCHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) to the Minister of EducationSchools—Operational Funding and Funding per Student4. CHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) to the Minister of Education: What was the percentage change in operational and teacher salaries funding for schools on a per child basis once inflation and roll growth have been taken into account between 2008 and 2016?Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education): Tēnā koe Mr Speaker. I welcome this question today as the member is finally admitting that there has been a funding increase despite his many erroneous proclamations that there has been a funding freeze". First I want to clarify for the House that operational funding and teacher salaries which are the components in the member's question are not the only components of school funding. Schools for example also receive funding for learning support for curriculum resources and for professional learning and development. However the percentage change in operational funding for schools on a per child basis once inflation and roll growth have been taken into account between 2008 and 2016 is an increase of 18 percent per child—1-8 18 percent per child. Between 2008 and 2016 teacher salaries have gone up in real terms by 3.36 percent. This cannot be broken down per student as the member's question asks as salaries are dependent on the age of the student and the experience of the individual teacher.Chris Hipkins: Does she believe it is fair and accurate to say that funding for schools has gone up by 35 percent as she has claimed by using figures that include early childhood education funding which has increased mainly as a result of more children participating?Hon HEKIA PARATA: I do think it is fair and accurate to say that Vote Education has gone up by 35 percent because it has.Chris Hipkins: Did she state that funding for schooling has gone up by 35 percent?Hon HEKIA PARATA: I am not aware that I have made that particular statement—Grant Robertson: Yeah well you did.Hon HEKIA PARATA: Well perhaps the member—Hon Member: Google it.Hon HEKIA PARATA: Well I do not spend my time on Google like that member does; I spend it on Planet Earth amongst research and evidence. So what I can tell the House is that Vote Education has gone up from just over $8 billion in 2008 to $11.04 billion in 2016 which represents a 35 percent increase. Chris Hipkins: Does she accept that most schools will not receive an inflation-adjusted increase to their operation budgets this year due to her funding freeze announced in the Budget and how does she expect those schools to cover the increases in their power bills lawn mowing art supplies and everything else if not by making cutbacks?Hon HEKIA PARATA: I do not accept that because what has been distributed to schools in 2017 is $1.35 billion in operational grants—which means more not a freeze. In addition $12.3 million has been targeted to those schools that have children who come from long-term benefit-dependent homes. Something like 98.4 percent of schools have received a share of that funding and the balance that have not have not because they do not have students who come from long-term benefit-dependent homes.Chris Hipkins: How many schools will receive an increase in funding as a result of the new funding formula that she just announced how many will receive a decrease and how many will not receive any change?Hon HEKIA PARATA: I do not hold in my head how much the dollar changes for 2438 schools but if I had had warning of that I would certainly have made an attempt to do so. What I can tell the member is that if 98.4 percent of schools are getting a share of the net new $12.3 million then their funding has gone up depending on—Chris Hipkins: Not if inflation's gone up more.Hon HEKIA PARATA: —the composition of the roll at their school. If the member understood more the portfolio he is ostensibly the Opposition speaker for he would understand that it is a very complex system. We provide more funding for different year groups. We provide more funding where learning support is required. We provide more funding more new classrooms and more schools than the previous administration did. So there is not a straight line average that would serve the member's appetite for simplicity."