10. 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 CHRIS CARTER (Minister of Education) Link to this
Yes, I do have confidence in the Ministry of Education, but it, like all of us, I am sure, can do better.
Does the Minister think that spending nearly a quarter of a million dollars on packs with “Let’s get it on!” and “Out there!” written on them, and on DVDs, bookmarks, and badges that have “Wassup!” and “Nice!” written on them, is in any way a good use of taxpayers’ money when schools are already crying out for more funding just to teach reading, writing, and maths?
I can say that any investment that lifts the potential and the learning outcomes of 21.9 percent of our students in New Zealand schools who are of Māori heritage is money well spent. My badge says “I love Māori success”. Every member of this House should be wearing this badge.
Rt Hon Winston Peters Link to this
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. In no way can it be acceptable to have 10 members from one political party shouting from the time that question was sought to be answered—and all 10 members are doing it again, right now. It demonstrates two things: that they elect to do this activity, and that they are a leaderless rabble for them to be allowed to get away with that—all 10 members. We cannot remotely hear what the answer is down here, because of that noise.
Madam SPEAKERYes, I agree. It was very, very difficult to hear, and it was obviously an orchestrated attempt so that people could not hear what was happening. Would members please take note: everyone has a right to hear.
What sort of a kick in the guts is it for schools when, in the same week that the Minister tells them to “stop moaning and start teaching”, they are sent packs worth nearly a quarter of a million dollars containing DVDs that they will never watch, bookmarks that will be thrown in the bin, and badges with statements so patronising to students that teachers are refusing to wear them?
The member is attempting to trivialise what is, in fact, a really important issue. In New Zealand at the moment, 21.9 percent of our students are of Māori heritage. Māori students at the moment have 2½ times less of a chance of success in school than European students, so there is Ka Hikitia, which is what this pack is about. The member attempts to trivialise it by citing the badges. The badges are a small part of the pack. The pack is about Ka Hikitia, which is about lifting success in learning for Māori students.
Rt Hon Winston Peters Link to this
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I must insist that there is no way that we can now have 14 members of Parliament all shouting—I have just counted; it is the whole of that front bench and four more members over here—during the answer to that question. With respect, Madam Speaker, why do they get away with it? If we tried it, we would be out of the House, but they do it every darned day.
No, I understand the member’s point. Those members who sit closest to the Chair are, unfortunately, the loudest. If it continues, I will be asking members to leave the Chamber.
The member who asked the question represents an electorate where 61 percent of students are of Māori heritage. These are incredibly talented young people, many of whom are not achieving educational success at the moment. She should be wearing a badge like mine, because she should be sending out the message that she supports the aspirations of her constituents.
Under the Labour-led Government, school operations grants have increased by more than 40 percent since 1999, or by nearly 20 percent after inflation. New Zealand invests 4.4 percent of our GDP on compulsory schooling, which is way ahead of Australia, the US, and the UK. I am advised that today the National member Anne Tolley told the Auckland Primary Principals Association breakfast this morning that under National there would be no extra funding for education on top of the cost of living. At last we have a policy that has been released.
Judy TurnerHas the Minister received advice from ministry staff about policy inconsistencies that see, for instance, the answer to written question No. 3369—that the Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Scheme funding is eligibility-led, not capped—while school principals report having to divert money from their operations grant to fund shortfalls in such funding for children with special needs; if he has been advised about this, what does he plan to do about it?
No, I have not been advised of that. But I would like to share with the member a piece of advice I have just had from Mana College, referring back to our badges, which stated: “The staff of Mana College send support to you in regard to the buttons issue. Today we are wearing a button each to stimulate discussion with our students, as you intended.” Some people need to get a life.
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. I appreciate the Minister’s answer, but it was not an answer to my question; he was still answering the previous question.
Gerry BrownleeI raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. With all due respect, the Minister did not mention the Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Scheme funding once during that answer. That is what the question was about.
No, but I heard that the Minister did actually address it by saying that he could not, and he then went on to move from there. So he was addressing the question. It may—sit down! It may not be a satisfactory answer, but Ministers are entitled to answer addressed questions in that way.
Hon Dr Nick SmithOrder in the Chamber has been slowly deteriorating as the afternoon has gone on, and it is becoming very difficult, actually, to hear. If members could only listen to themselves—at times, I am sure they will be silly, as my emails will tell me when I get back to the office. Now if we could all please just address the question. As I said, that was not a satisfactory answer according to some, but the question was addressed.
I am sorry. Would Tony Ryall please leave the Chamber. This way we might steadily be able to get some order back in the Chamber.
Can the Minister tell the House what the word “Wassup!” means, what the Māori etymology of the word “Wassup!” is, how that word “Wassup!” on badges on kids in schools will help with Māori literacy, and why it was worth wasting $56,000 on badges with this word on them when principals are dismayed that Ministers can tell them there is no blank cheque for them, but there is when it comes to gimmicky and patronising promotional material?
It is interesting that the member mentioned principals. She told them this morning, of course, that they were getting no more cash. It will be really interesting to see what their reaction is to that. “Wassup!” is something that a group of students might say. They are the sorts of people with whom we want to connect with these badges—not middle-aged, middle-class people, but youngsters who currently are not succeeding in our education system. I am really appalled that that member and members of the National Party are today trying to trivialise a strategy and a project that is about lifting educational outcomes for Māori students. Anne Tolley represents a constituency where 61 percent of pupils are of Māori heritage. She should be ashamed of what she is saying in the House today.
I raise a point of order, Madam Speaker. You will no doubt rule that that addressed the question, but it was not by any stretch of the imagination an answer. The Minister was asked for the meaning of the word on his badge.
The member well knows—as he said—that the Minister addressed the question. The Speaker is not responsible for the answer to those questions.
Dr Ashraf Choudhary Link to this
What reports has the Minister received about support for the implementation of the Māori education strategy Ka Hikitia—Managing for Success?
I have received a very positive report, and I am glad to say that it came from a National Party member. I have seen a report from a media interview on Radio New Zealand National this morning where the MP Colin King, who is one of National’s education spokespersons, said in relation to the pack that Mrs Tolley has just been attempting to denigrate: “Whatever can be done to engage people so that they come out of the other end of their education with a positive experience has to be good for all New Zealanders.” If there is a cost-benefit analysis done and it pays, then we can prove that it will be fantastic. At least one of Mrs Tolley’s caucus members has some concern about Māori students—
Why does the Minister think that schools should listen to him and “stop moaning” when they see this sort of tasteless waste from the ministry—waste that does nothing for the 150,000 kids who are failing in our schools in the tail of underachievers, and does nothing for the literacy and numeracy skills of the 46 percent of Māori boys and 42 percent of Māori girls who are leaving school without any form of qualification?
I have heard no criticism of Ka Hikitia anywhere in the education sector. Mrs Tolley is trying to trivialise the pack with her attack on the buttons. These handouts are summaries of the Ka Hikitia programme. They went out with, and were the main thrust of, the pack that each teacher in New Zealand received. They are about lifting the achievement of Māori students. Surely, that is something that everybody in this House would support. I seek leave to table the pack that went out to all schools in New Zealand 4 days ago on Ka Hikitia.