Vote Education Appropriations

Departmental Output Classes

Strategic leadership in the sector

The Ministry delivers policies and services that focus on the leadership of the education sector. This includes coordination with other sector and government agencies; undertaking research and analysis; monitoring the sector; and providing strategic policy advice and support to the Minister of Education. As part of its sector leadership, the Ministry is responsible for monitoring the performance and capability of the central education Crown entities.

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Support and resources for the community

The Ministry delivers programmes and services focused on improving the community’s knowledge of, and participation in, the early childhood education and schooling sectors. This includes working with parents, iwi and Pasifika community groups; providing information about education options; supporting and delivering programmes and providing policy advice to the Minister of Education. (Career Services also provides career and further education advice to students, potential students and their families.)

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Support and resources for education providers

The Ministry provides resources and services to support early childhood education providers and schools to deliver education services. This includes providing policy advice; administration of legislation and regulations; services supporting the governance, management and operation of early childhood education providers and schools; monitoring, and intervening where financial viability, participation or achievement are at risk. (The Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) performs a parallel and complementary role for tertiary education.)

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School property portfolio management

The Ministry manages the Government’s ownership interests in school property. This is the largest departmental expense. It includes managing the existing property portfolio; focusing on upgrades and improvements to sustain the quality of the portfolio; purchasing and constructing new property to expand the portfolio’s capacity to meet the demands of schooling or demographic changes; identifying and disposing of surplus property; and the management of teacher and caretaker housing.

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Support and resources for teachers

The Ministry provides support and resources to teachers and principals to support professional leadership, learning and teaching. This includes providing the curriculum and achievement standards; providing resources and professional development programmes to educators; providing scholarships and awards to teachers and principals; and the delivery of timely and relevant policy advice to the Minister of Education. (The New Zealand Teachers Council supports the teaching profession through its management of registration and discipline functions and through professional leadership, while the New Zealand Qualifications Authority (NZQA) works to support assessment by teachers.)

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Interventions for target student groups

The Ministry delivers interventions, specialist support services, funding and other resources to assist students and target groups to participate in meaningful early childhood and schooling education. The Ministry has 2,000 employees providing special education services to over 35,000 children and families, and support and services to schools, early childhood education centres, parents and whānau. The Ministry provides policy advice and support to the Minister of Education.

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Strategic leadership in the tertiary system

The Ministry delivers policies and services that focus on the leadership of the tertiary education system. This includes coordination with other sector and government agencies; undertaking research and analysis; and developing strategic policy related to tertiary and international education. The Ministry monitors system-level outcomes, including the performance and capacity of the TEC. The Ministry also provides information on tertiary and international education services. The Ministry represents the Government on education issues internationally; supporting the care of international students in New Zealand; supporting the development of the international education industry; and providing ministerial support to the Minister for Tertiary Education.

Most of the funding administered by the Ministry of Education for the Crown is under ‘other expenses’ categories, which align well with priority outcomes one to five. The Ministry’s work and its non-departmental expenditure are intentionally cross-cutting, with activity funded by each appropriation serving to advance more than one of the priorities.

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Links between Priority Outcomes and Appropriations