5. ANNE TOLLEY (National—East Coast) Link to this
to the Minister of Education
Does he have confidence in the Ministry of Education; if so, why?
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA (Acting Minister of Education) Link to this
Yes, but I am sure the ministry, like all of us, can always do better.
How can the Minister have confidence in his ministry, when I raised the case yesterday with the Minister for Social Development and Employment about the family camping out in the backblocks of Wairoa with 10 school-aged children who have not been at school since August last year, and his ministry has taken no action to get these children into school?
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA Link to this
The ministry, along with other services like Child, Youth and Family and the community as a whole, needs to put a lot more effort into it. I have told the ministry to get there and do something about it.
Hon Marian HobbsHow has the Labour-led Government, through the Ministry of Education, delivered for all New Zealanders?
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA Link to this
The Labour-led Government has increased funding for education by a whopping 72 percent. This huge additional investment has enabled us since 1999 to introduce 20 hours’ free early childhood education for 3 and 4-year-olds, to increase teachers’ pay by 40 percent, to employ more than 5,000 additional teachers over and above roll growth, to build 34 new schools and 1,500 new school rooms, and to do heaps more.
What advice did the Ministry of Education receive following the absence of these 10 children from school in August, September, October, November, and December last year, and what action was taken to find them and get them back into school?
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA Link to this
The ministry needs to continue to look into this situation. The ministry is responsible for truants whom it knows about. It needs to spend more time, as I have directed, to get there, have a look at the situation, and sort it out.
Hon Tariana Turia Link to this
Tēnā koe, Madam Speaker. Has the Minister seen reports that almost 20,000 schoolchildren a week nationwide need feeding during their school day because of empty cupboards at home; and what actions can the Ministry of Education take to respond to the educational disadvantage that more and more New Zealanders are experiencing as a result of escalating child poverty?
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA Link to this
It is quite clear that child poverty in this Government’s period of time has reduced by nearly 34 percent. Over and above that, those issues relevant to children not being fed or being in the poverty trap is something that everybody, including the Ministry of Education, has to front—
Hon Tariana Turia Link to this
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. My question was very specific. We have 20,000 children a week needing feeding, and I asked what the Ministry of Education can do to respond to the educational disadvantage that more and more New Zealanders are experiencing as a result of escalating child poverty.
Madam SPEAKERWell, if the Minister is allowed to finish his answer, we may well hear that question being addressed.
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA Link to this
There are a host of reasons why students and pupils do not have breakfast. They are trying to stay trim, or else there may be poverty in the house. Over and above all those issues, it is the community reply that is important.
What sort of system is the Minister running when 10 children from one family could be missing from school for 5 months last year, and did not enrol for the first 2 months of school this year, yet the only way the ministry knows this is because my office told it?
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA Link to this
As I said earlier on, I have asked the ministry to get there and sort it out. The Ministry of Education has changed its contract with the Non-enrolment Truancy Service this year, and has now taken back the responsibility for dealing with the most complex cases—for example, those who have been in contact with Child, Youth and Family or the police, and those approaching the school leaving age.
Rodney HideI raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I think for the sake of the Minister that he may want to correct an answer he gave, where he said that children were missing out on breakfast to stay thin. I am sure that that was a slip, and he did not mean that.
Does the Minister think it acceptable that the Ministry of Education has done nothing since I notified it in early March, except to explain to the parents their legal obligations, because these parents have said they are applying to home-school their 10 children; and does he think that the appalling living conditions of this family could ever possibly meet the required home-schooling standards?
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA Link to this
I would need further details from that member. But I want her to be sure of her facts, as she was mixing things up when she asked questions last week about union pay. She was on about notification coming only several hours before, when the ministry had informed the organisation 3 weeks before, 2 weeks before, and on the morning prior to the deal being settled.
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I asked the Minister a specific question about the actions of the Ministry of Education in regard to a particular family. That question had nothing to do with the questions I might have asked last week. I ask you to direct the Minister to address my question.
No, the first part of the answer did actually address the question in asking for further information. The second part did not; the member is right.
Hon Tariana Turia Link to this
Does the Minister seriously believe the answer he gave before, when he said that children living in poverty do not eat breakfast because they want to stay slim, or does this Minister believe in the importance of children having breakfast to help them to achieve educationally?
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA Link to this
I said there were several reasons why pupils do not have breakfast, and there are a host of reasons that most teenagers practise this. There are issues relevant to poverty, there are reasons relevant to pupils going to school too early, and there are issues relevant to them not wanting even to have breakfast. So at the end of the day, I am saying that the poverty slip in relation to education in this country has declined dramatically, but some people like to hype it up and make out that everybody needs breakfast at school. This Government, along with the Ministry of Education, has certainly been supportive, and is quite clear on backing parents and the community to look after poor children.
While the Minister is explaining his answers, does he agree that in order for this family to be considered seriously to home-school 10 or more children, it actually needs to have a home?
Hon PAREKURA HOROMIA Link to this
I certainly do agree with that, and I need more detail. But I would ask the member to give the detail and to be truthful about what she is saying to the ministry.
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I take offence at the implication that I am being dishonest.