KEY POINTS:
After years of capped funding, private schools say they are right behind National's plan to increase their piece of the education pie by 25 per cent.
But the principal of New Zealand's largest state school says National has "missed the vote" by failing to address real issues that most schools face.
Independent schools - there are 95 nationwide - receive nearly $40.2 million annually from the Government. National plans to add $10 million from next year's budget.
The association, which represents 80 per cent of the 30,000 students who attend independent schools, said the extra funding would equate to an extra $300 a student.
The schools now receive between $914 and $1947 a student depending on class level.
The executive director of Independent Schools of New Zealand, Deborah James, said member schools would be happy to see the end of the capped regime.
"It is very much going to be welcomed when you consider that funding was capped in 2000 and in the past eight years we've seen a real decrease of about 42 per cent because of inflation, and also because of growth in our schools."
However, members wanted any future policy to index funding to inflation, she said.
St Kentigern College in Pakuranga has 1680 students. Executive head Warren Peat said the Government received economic benefits from well-educated students at a bargain rate of funding.
But the principal of state school Rangitoto College, David Hodge, said the party's policy did nothing to address operational grants.
While $500 million for capital investment, which was also announced, and increased independent funding had been costed, many public schools were disappointed National had not attached a figure to the money that actually made schools tick, Mr Hodge said.
"There's absolutely no extra funding going to state schools - we all know how incredibly hard it is to make ends meet.
"What we get in the policy is a lot of rhetoric but absolutely no dollars. To quote the movie, 'Show us the dollars'. I think they've missed the vote."
