Ministry of Education funding boost
3 Jul 2026
We were delighted to host Education Minister Erica Stanford at The Big Sing in Wellington, and thrilled at her announcement – made to a packed hall at the Michael Fowler Centre - of $300,000 to support secondary school choral singing. The funding will be shared equally between NZCF and Choirs Aotearoa, following a joint approach to the government for support. NZCF will receive $150,000 for The Big Sing, while Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand will receive $150,000 for the NZ Secondary Students' Choir.
This is a one-off grant rather than ongoing funding, but, it was encouraging to hear the Minister indicate that she would like to see continued support for both The Big Sing and the NZ Secondary Students' Choir in future.
The announcement is particularly encouraging because it represents recognition, at ministerial level, of the value of choral singing in young people's lives. Speaking at the gala concert, Minister Stanford said that music "builds strong foundations for learning, confidence, and can lead to new opportunities both within and outside the classroom”. She also spoke warmly about her own experiences of school music and expressed her desire for singing and music opportunities to be available to every student. Pete Rainey (Chair), Erica Stanford, Christine Argyle (CEO)
A huge thank you to everyone across the NZCF whānau whose work over many years has helped demonstrate the value and impact of choral singing in New Zealand schools. This announcement is a welcome vote of confidence in that work.