KEY POINTS:
National leader John Key has criticised Labour for under-resourcing schools and promised his own party will boost spending on school buildings by $500 million over the next four years.
National's new schools policy includes an extra $500 million for school building and upgrade projects.
It will also increase the amount of funding which goes directly to schools - partly by cuts to the Ministry of Education bureaucracy - by giving schools more control over their own property needs and professional development.
Mr Key said the Pre-Election Fiscal Update warned that funding totalling $429 million would be needed over the next three years to cater for school-roll growth - funding Labour had not budgeted for.
A significant amount was needed for Auckland, where up to 20 new schools were predicted to be needed by 2015, especially in outlying areas south and west of Auckland.
Priorities for the increased capital funding will include allowing popular schools to expand so they can take more pupils without requiring strict zoning.
Other priorities include trades training and technology in schools, increased kura kaupapa and Maori immersion schooling, better resourced special education schools and upgrades of information technology and out-dated facilities.
Mr Key said the funding would come from the $8.6 billion spending package National had allocated for infrastructure building over the next six years.
National's policy would be one of "high trust" which gave boards, principals and teachers more powers to make decisions about their schools. National's other school policies announced yesterday:
* $1.5 billion extra to spend on school operations over four years - although much of this is for current commitments. It plans to spend between $75 million and $125 million on "new education initiatives".
* Proposals to "fine-tune" NCEA. It would work with the education sector over changes. * Make zoning laws more flexible.
* A "slow increase" in funding for private schools.* A voluntary bonding scheme for teachers.
* More resources for Maori education.* Reducing class sizes for new entrants to one teacher for every 15 students.
