School by numbers

NUMBER OF SCHOOLS

Primary 1216

Intermediate 132

Secondary and composite (Years 7 to 15) 468

Correspondence 1

Total 1817


NUMBER OF STUDENTS

Primary 178,105

Intermediate 64,718

Secondary and composite (Years 7 to 15) 394,496

Correspondence school 7872

Home-schooled 6437

Total 637,319


Days at school 394 half-days for primary students; 380 half-days for secondary students

School terms Primary and intermediate:

Term 1 - January 27 to April 8

Term 2 - April 26 to July 2

Term 3 - July 19 to September 17

Term 4 - October 4 to December 14

Secondary:

Term 1 - January 27 to April 8

Term 2 - April 26 to July 2

Term 3 - July 19 to September 17

Term 4 - October 4 to December 3

Education budget Last year's Budget saw an increase of $715 million a year in new spending for education by 2006-2007 to bring the total to $8.6 billion in that year.

The new education spending equates to increases of $393 million for 2003-04, $479 million for 2004-05, $617 million for 2005-06 and $715 million for 2006-2007, over education spending in 2002-03.

Over the next four years, nearly $167 million will be spent establishing 774 teaching positions.

Figures based on Ministry of Education 2003 estimates.