5. NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) Link to this
to the Minister of Education
What reports has she received on whether an attendance, absence, and truancy in New Zealand schools survey was held in 2008?
Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister of Education) Link to this
I received a report that states there was no truancy survey undertaken last year. This means that the Government has no data of any sort on national and regional attendance and truancy rates since 2006. To ensure that this Government has solid and up-to-date information on national and regional breakdowns on truancy, I have ordered that a survey be carried out this year.
What reports has she received about whether the previous Government knew about the cancellation of the survey last year?
I have seen a reply from the previous Minister of Education to a written question last year, where he stated: “the next Attendance Survey will be in 2008.” I have also seen a comment from the same former Minister in January this year, where he said that he was not responsible for ditching the survey and that at no point was he asked about it. That raises a very serious question for Mr Chris Carter: if he signed out this answer to a written question that states that the survey will be held in 2008, and the survey was not held then, why did he never ask why not?
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
Is the Minister aware that the Secretary for Education told the Education and Science Committee yesterday that, when one takes into account children who have enrolled in other schools and those who have emigrated, the truancy figure is 10 percent of the figure that the Minister has been using; if so, why does she persist with using this inaccurate figure?
This new Government knows that it is impossible to get students to achieve the qualifications they need to succeed, if they are not attending and engaged at school. I think that the member’s question completely highlights the negligence of the previous Minister of Education. The ministry is admitting that it does not have a clear idea of what exactly the truancy headcount is on a national or a regional basis. That is why this Government has ordered the survey to be done this year, as soon as possible.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I think you will know what the point of order is. The question had two legs: was she aware of what the Secretary for Education said, and why does she use an incorrect figure? Neither of those legs was addressed.
Mr SPEAKERI will give the member the chance to repeat his question, because it was a clear question, relating very much to the primary question. I will let him repeat his question to the Minister, but I would ask him to ask only one question. Choose one of those questions and put it to the Minister.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
Well, I am happy for her to choose, if I repeat the question. She can choose either of them.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
Is the Minister aware that the Secretary for Education told the Education and Science Committee yesterday that, when one takes into account children who have enrolled in other schools and those who have emigrated, the truancy figure is less than 10 percent of the figure that the Minister uses; if so, why does she persist with using an incorrect figure?
I have seen a comment from officials that the 2006 survey was “the only information we have nationally on attendance. We have nothing else.” That is disturbing, and it is an indictment on the previous Government that it thought it was acceptable to have no up-to-date information on the truancy picture.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. It is a bit of a déjà vu of the previous point of order. The question had two legs. One asked whether she was aware of what the Secretary for Education did. The second leg asked why she used an incorrect figure. She did not address either of them.
I cannot force a Minister to give exactly the answer the member wants. What the Minister did in that reply was to refer to information from the ministry in respect of truancy. She asserted that that information was the latest information that the ministry had. I cannot judge whether the ministry has put different information to a select committee. I have to take the Minister’s answer at its face value. I believe that she did answer that first part of the question.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
Is funding for this survey, which overstated truancy by 1,000 percent, a higher priority for her than funding to train teachers to work with gifted and talented students?