The 2025 annual report from the Ministry of Education reveals that Education Minister Erica Stanford rated the ministry 7 out of 10 for its oversight of the education system, showing an improvement from three in the previous report.
She awarded the ministry a rating of four for its policy advice, an increase from three previously.
Meanwhile, Vocational Education Minister Penny Simmonds rated the ministry’s overall performance at seven, an increase from six in the previous year.
The report also highlights a reduction in personnel costs. The ministry’s expenditure on salaries and wages was $409 million in 2024/25, a decrease from $555 million in the previous year.
The ministry’s consultant expenses were $2 million, decreasing from $3 million the prior year, while spending on contracts for services dropped to $138 million from $180 million.
52,926 children received specialist learning support in 2024/25, and while wait times for this support have improved, they remain lengthy.
The average wait times for children seeking support were 54 days for behaviour support, 80 days for communication support, 11 days for assistance through the ongoing-resourcing scheme, and 117 days for the early intervention service.
Only 47% of students who were excluded from a school were enrolled in another school within 40 days, and just 75% were placed elsewhere within 75 days of their exclusion.
“Our regional staff are taking a more active role in following up cases where a learner is not returning to school in a timely manner,” the report said.
“This work is being supported with revised guidelines for stand downs, suspensions, exclusions and expulsions due to be launched in late 2025.”