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The Budget home page lists the Government's budget highlights and key points.

The Government's education press releases detail the education initiatives.

Mr Mallard, in outlining the Government's education priorities, was reported saying, "Clearly we need an education system that readily equips New Zealanders with 21st century skills, and secondly, that reduces the level of underachievement experienced by some groups in the education system. These are the Government's top two education priorities."

The Ministry of Education's Vote Education summary describes the education spending and gives policy rationales behind it.

The education initiatives are summarised in this New Zealand Press Association story.

Tertiary fees are to be linked to the consumer price index from now on, the Government says.

Early childhood education will get an additional $55 million over four years.

The Career Colleges' Association says the fee maxima announced in the budget will reduce the resources that private training providers need to support their students' learning.

The New Zealand Association of Private Education Providers says the proposed fee maxima levels are too low and the impact could well be that many programmes will no longer operate at private education providers and tertiary education institutes.

The Education Forum says the increased spending places much responsibility on the Government and its agencies to ensure that the money delivers improved education outcomes.

"Cross-country evidence shows that the link between more spending and better education outcomes is weak. Good policies are required to ensure that the money translates into better outcomes for New Zealanders," Education Forum policy advisor Norman LaRocque says.

And, in a more light-hearted mood, the Education Forum says that the Government's move to increase funeral grants for low-income earners is a pointer to future directions for its social service access policies.

Other Education Forum Budget media releases:

National should quit trying to sound like the University Students' Association

Tertiary education price controls: just say no!

Fee maxima levels must be flexible and high

Australian budget a pointer for future of tertiary education in New Zealand.

ACT education spokesperson Deborah Coddington says, "Simply throwing more money at the teaching crisis is not going to solve the problem of quality when teachers' pay is still controlled by the feather-bedding unions, and teachers are only paid enough to get the last man on board. If Mallard wasn't so stubborn he'd allow schools to choose devolved funding so they could woo back all those great teachers who've found work outside the classrooms."

The Treasury's Budget homepage has links to a range of financial information.