Labour says the Government is being counter-intuitive by taking special needs funding from school-age kids, in favour of younger children.
Education Minister Hekia Parata is urging a review to the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme, which would dramatically increase the amount of money put aside for special needs children under the age of five.
But education spokesperson Chris Hipkins says the move is short-sighted as it comes at the expense of another vulnerable group.
"No one would disagree with the idea of increasing funding for kids with special needs in early childhood education services - there's clearly a need there. But taking funding away from the kids who are in primary and secondary schools isn't the way to do that."
Another possible adjustment would mean schools need to show students receiving funding had achieved academic success.
"Some of these kids are simply never going to achieve national standards in NCEA," says Mr Hipkins. "It's not at all inclusive to suggest that they would.
"In fact it's going to stigmatise them, and it's going to make the education system far less welcoming."
Mr Hipkins says the Government is trying to divvy up a finite pool of money, as opposed to looking for ways to extend funding, but Ms Parata says they just want to make special education support as effective as possible.
Newshub.
