5. Early Childhood Education and Schools—FundingCHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) to the Minister of EducationEarly Childhood Education and Schools—Funding5. CHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) to the Minister of Education: Is she satisfied that after 9 years of a National Government all children and young people are receiving all the support that they need to succeed in education?Hon TIM MACINDOE (Associate Minister of Education) on behalf of the Minister of Education: I am satisfied that this National-led Government has made a significant investment in the education of our children and young people. This financial year our investment in education amounts to over $11 billion the highest ever investment in public education. However we recognise that there is always room for improvement and we continuously explore options to achieve that.Chris Hipkins: Why does he believe that schools are getting all the support that they need to offer the best education for every New Zealand child when so-called voluntary donations from parents have increased by 50 percent since National came into office?Hon TIM MACINDOE: The Government funds State-integrated schools to provide a good public education and since 2008 when that member's party left office Vote Education has increased by around 41 percent to a record $11.6 million dollars. When it comes to donations parents have always been able to contribute to their schools but no parent should feel compelled to pay a donation; it is voluntary.Chris Hipkins: Why does he believe that early childhood education (ECE) providers are getting all the support they need to offer the best education to every New Zealand child when 70 percent of early childhood education providers have increased fees to parents by an average of 29 percent over the last 5 years?Hon TIM MACINDOE: That member has made similar claims in the past and I am happy to assure the House that ECE funding has increased every year for the last 10 years. There has been no cut in funding as he is implying; funding has more than doubled in the period since the 2007-08 financial year. Per child ECE funding in New Zealand is among the top third in the OECD. We are very proud of that and as a result we have the highest level of participation in early childhood education in this country's history.Chris Hipkins: Does he accept that the increase in early childhood education costs that parents face is down to the fact that per child funding for early childhood education has been cut in real terms every single year the National Government has been in office?Hon TIM MACINDOE: I entirely refute the member's assertion. I point out to him that early childhood education providers are receiving an additional $350 million of operational funding over the next 4 years in this year's Budget. That will provide a further 31000 early-learning places over the next 4 years. The number of children coming into early childhood education is increasing. The number of providers is increasing. This is a need that is seeing more children than ever before being prepared to enter their primary education years and it is a great success story for the education system.Chris Hipkins: If all of that is true why do the Government's Budget documents show that affordability for early childhood education in New Zealand has declined by 6.6 percent as revealed in this year's Budget documents?Hon TIM MACINDOE: All of that was true.