12. KELVIN DAVIS (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister of Education
Does she agree with the 14 December New Zealand Herald headline “Tolley talks tough in clash with teachers”?
Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister of Education) Link to this
If the headline is suggesting that I am prepared to defend parents getting good information on how their kids are doing against national standards, and what they can do to help their kids do better, then the answer would be yes.
Has she begun the hunt for 80 commissioners to replace the 80 boards of trustees from Te Tai Tokerau whose principals “last week unanimously agreed not to implement the standards until their effect was better known”?
I am very confident that the boards of trustees of the schools of this country who represent the parents know that national standards will help lift the achievement of those students who are currently failing in our schools.
Does she realise that with her threat to sack boards of trustees that allow teachers to boycott national standards, along with noises from the State Services Commission to try to prevent teachers and principals from speaking out on issues like this, she is practically inviting civil disobedience from the educational sector?
I suggest that that member read more than the headlines in the newspaper. If he had read through the rest of the article, then he would have seen I stated that I do not believe it will come to that. I have every confidence in the boards of trustees of schools in this country representing parents who want to do better for their children.
Does she agree with the Minister of Health, Tony Ryall, who claims to listen to clinicians when making decisions on health; if so, why does she refuse to listen to principals who consistently say that her plans will do nothing to stop kids failing in the system?
I have listened to the sector; I have listened to a whole year of reasons why it does not want national standards. I have heard reason after reason. The parents of children in this country want national standards, they voted for them, and we will deliver them.
Mr SPEAKERI say to Government members that it is impossible to hear questions being asked if they keep up that level of noise.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
Is the Minister seriously suggesting to this House that she will sack a board of trustees that decides to have a trial within a region of the national standards?
I have said in this House that I have every confidence that the boards of trustees of schools in New Zealand who are the representatives of parents will implement the national standards next year, because they know that they will help them raise the achievement of the one in five students who are currently failing the school system.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. My question was a very direct, simple, and unloaded question. It asked whether she would sack a board of trustees that decided to implement a trial. That question was not addressed.
The dilemma I have as Speaker is that it was a hypothetical question. It incorporated questions about what a board might do in the future and whether a trial might be involved in the future, and those are all hypothetical issues. Although the Minister’s answer may not have been quite what the member wanted, as Speaker I have to be so careful about insisting on any particular kind of answer where the question is hypothetical like that one.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. You were given, through your office, a copy of a press clipping from the Minister that indicated that that was her intention. My question was about her intention, as she has already publicly outlined it. It might have been hypothetical in asking whether she would be in that position, but it is obviously a formed view that she has, and it is something that she has said publicly. What you are essentially saying is that we cannot question her on the detail.
I am aware that there was some to-ing and fro-ing on the wording of this question, but, regardless of that, the primary question that was put down asked whether she agreed with a certain headline in a newspaper, which is a fair enough question. But to then go on and ask the Minister about a hypothetical situation, should a board of trustees do something to do with a trial or not to do with a trial, is clearly hypothetical. I cannot insist that a Minister answer that kind of question. That would be unreasonable, on my part as Speaker. I believe that under the circumstances I cannot assist the honourable member any further.