Education groups say the funding increases in Thursday's Budget will not keep up with rising costs.
The Government has promised $1.4 billion extra spending for schools and early-childhood education over the next four years, but early-childhood leaders say many centres will still have to raise their fees.
The Budget raises the non-salary component of early-childhood subsidies by 2.9%, and kindergartens get a further increase to cover pay rises.
The chief executive of the Childcare Association, Nancy Bell, says that equates to an increase of just 1.1% for most centres.
As for schools, the Budget raises operations grants by 2.9% at a cost of $118 million over the next four years, but school groups say it isn't enough.
The president of the Secondary Principals Association, Patrick Walsh, says schools did not expect much from the Budget but were still disappointed by the minimal increase.
Mr Walsh says secondary schools were, however, pleased to see increased spending on broadband and Te Kotahitanga - an initiative aimed at improving the teaching of Maori students.
In the tertiary sector, the subsidies for degree and postgraduate enrolments go up by 2%.
Universities say that covers only about half of their cost increases, but say they're pleased to get something when other tertiary institutions missed out on any increase at all.
