5/03/2025
Ti Lamusse
[FYI request #29574 email]
Tēnā koe Ti
OIA: 1341547: Funding for Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L)
Thank you for your email of 16 December 2024 to the Ministry of Education (the Ministry)
requesting the fol owing information:
1. Please provide me with the annual budget and expenditure for the Ministry’s Positive
Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) programme, as far back as records permit.
2. Please provide me with a further budget breakdown, outlining the annual budget and
expenditure for PB4L’s restorative practice programme, as far back as records permit.
We also acknowledge your email of 30 January 2025, in which you refined your request to the
fol owing:
1. Please provide me with the overal PB4L budget per annum, as I imagine that should be
relatively easy to ascertain.
2. In terms of the line items, I am interested specifical y in the restorative practice training
provision provided to schools. Could you please provide me with the amount spent on
school level RP training per year?
Your request has been considered under the Official Information Act 1982 (the Act).
With regard to part one of your request, the Ministry is unable to provide the annual budget
information requested for the overal Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) programme, as there
are several PB4L components, some of which are not tracked separately within our finance
system, as they have been consolidated within a wider range of activities. I am therefore refusing
this part of your request under section 18(g) of the Act, as the information is not held in the
aggregate format requested, and I have no grounds for believing it is either held by, or connected
more closely with the functions of, another department or organisation subject to the Act.
8 Gilmer Terrace, Levels Ground floor, 1, 2, and 6-14, Wellington
PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140 Phone: +64 4 463 8000
For your interest, however, I can advise of the fol owing information pertaining to investment for the
PB4L programme via the press releases for Budget 2013 and Budget 2022:
Budget 2013 - $63.5mil ion investment in PB4L over four years -
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/positive-behaviour-initiative-raising-achievement
Budget 2022 - $18.9mil ion investment to fund a refresh -
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/budget-2022-invests-keep-kiwi-kids-class-and-
learning#:~:text=Budget%202022%20also%20sees%20%2418.9,to%20the%20New%20Ze
aland%20context.
Further to this, please find links below to the Ministry’s Annual Review from 2017/18 to 2021/22.
While these reviews do not specifical y mention the total spend for PB4L per year, they do mention
budget spend towards specific campaigns/publications, etc. for PB4L that may be of interest to
you:
2017/18 - https://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-
NZ/52SCEW_EVI_82560_4885/a5015cd8e44e625f83c8b20bad860b5134cd0f8b.
2018/19 - https://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-
NZ/52SCEW_EVI_92744_EW6801/06461af1fbd4892670fabea95a7d9f8af9a59857
2019/20 - https://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-
NZ/53SCEW_EVI_103989_EW1577/cbd9a83985b139b86fe2763c925a846767075310
2020/21 - https://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-
NZ/53SCEW_EVI_116433_EW4651/919cc6687d88ff6e5c717fac34251a0e0d810857
2021/22 - https://www.parliament.nz/resource/en-
NZ/53SCEW_EVI_127552_EW9691/2b37c4111a9647d320d08bb2f9f298c750697ee7
PB4L Restorative Practice (RP) is an evidence-based programme focused on building and
maintaining positive and respective relationships across learning communities. RP addresses
crucial factors such as student engagement, attendance, participation and learning outcomes, and
is rooted in principles of relationship and community building.
With regard to part two of your request, please refer to the table below which provides the annual
breakdown of RP funding.
Table – PB4L RP – Annual Funding
Financial Year
Funding
2015 – 2016
$1,190,000
2016 – 2017
$1,190,000
2017 – 2018
$1,190,000
OIA: 1341547
Financial Year
Funding
2018 – 2019
$1,190,000
2019 – 2020
$1,190,000
2020 – 2021
$1,190,000
2021 – 2022
$892,500
2022 – 2023
$1,850,000
2022 – 2024
$1,600,000
Please note, we may publish this response on our website after five working days. Your name and
contact details wil be removed.
Thank you again for your email. You have the right to ask an Ombudsman to review my decision
on your request, in accordance with section 28 of the Act. You can do this by writing to
[email address] or to Office of the Ombudsman, PO Box 10152, Wel ington 6143.
Nāku noa, nā
Lynda Pura-Watson
General Manager
Te Pae Aronui | Ākonga and Community Outcomes
OIA: 1341547
