NZ ECE funding diff
What changed in 2019
2019 marked the first major commitment toward closing the long-standing kindergarten-vs-centre-based teacher pay gap. The Labour government allocated initial funding to begin the multi-year journey toward pay parity, building the funding-rate mechanism that would scale up across the 2020s. The funded rates received an inflation-linked uplift.
Changes this year
- Workforce
Initial pay-parity commitment for ECE teachers
Budget 2019 included the first committed step toward closing the kindergarten-vs-education-and-care pay gap. Funding was allocated to begin a multi-year programme of teacher-pay uplifts tied to opt-in funding-rate increases.
Source: Treasury — Budget 2019
About this page: a neutral catalogue of NZ ECE funding and policy changes by year. Built from official Crown / Treasury / Ministry sources cited above. We do not represent any political party — corrections and additions welcome via contact. Last reviewed 2026-05-28. See also: our methodology · data sources + licences.