12. CATHERINE DELAHUNTY (Green) Link to this
to the Minister of Education
Why has she cut funding for therapists working with children with impairments in schools?
Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister of Education) Link to this
Funding for additional therapy was never built into the baseline by the previous Government; it has only ever been funded on a year-by-year basis. That particular support was provided to only 23 schools around the country, and other schools with students with the same or greater need have never received that funding for additional therapy. Students who have high or very high needs will continue to receive support through the Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Scheme.
Catherine Delahunty Link to this
What is the logic behind increasing some special education funding but cutting programmes that work for the most vulnerable, people like Christian Kumitau, a 13-year-old student from Māngere, who is confined to a wheelchair and faces losing funding for his physiotherapy?
I am advised that a student in that case with high needs in the Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Scheme would, at a minimum, continue to receive $9,910 per year to provide therapy and teacher aide support and an additional 0.1 of an additional teacher at the average cost of $6,500. There could also be support for assistive technology as well as funding for transport assistance of about $3,000 per year, plus whatever else the school might contribute from its operational grant or staffing entitlement.
Jo GoodhewI received a report that quotes the previous Minister of Education, Chris Carter, as saying: “Not enough of the money earmarked for special education is actually getting to the school level and more importantly to the individual pupil with special needs.” That is an appalling admission from the previous Minister of Education after Labour had had 9 years in power. We are committed to special education, and in our very first Budget we increased the funding for high and very high needs students by $51 million over 4 years. That is the biggest increase that the Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Scheme has received for a number of years.
Hon Phil GoffWhat does it say about the Minister’s priorities that she has cut $2.5 million from the most vulnerable and disadvantaged kids in disabled units while finding $35 million to support the most advantaged kids in the country in private schools?
I say to that member that again he needs to get his facts correct, because his assertion is not true.
Catherine Delahunty Link to this
Can the Minister explain what is fair about spending $35 million subsidising private schools while vulnerable children in public schools, such as Wiki Tamihana of the Wairarapa, lose funding and while her school’s special needs helper loses her job?
Again, I say to that member that children who have high health needs will continue to be funded under the Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Scheme. In fact, this Government is increasing the scheme’s funding by $51 million over the next 4 years.
Does the Minister read her correspondence; for example, the letter from the principal of the Carlson School for Cerebral Palsy indicating that half of that school’s therapists will be cut and that there is no compensatory funding, and the letter from the principal of Mt Roskill Intermediate School saying that the rights of severely disabled kids will be compromised and some may well become sufficiently ill that they will not be able to attend school at all if the therapy is cut?
I say to that member that in 9 years of a Labour Government, it did not put this particular funding into its baseline; it was only ever provided on a year-to-year basis. It only ever went to a small number of schools. Other schools throughout the country with children with similar levels of disability and need were never funded by that Government. This Government has put an extra $51 million into the Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Scheme, which funds high health needs and very high health needs children.
I seek leave to table two letters. They are from two highly disabled students at Mt Roskill Intermediate School seeking to explain to the Minister how they will be hurt by the cut in their therapy services.
Catherine Delahunty Link to this
I seek leave to table a list of independent schools that will receive $35 million in public money, including King’s College, Wanganui Collegiate School, and Christ’s College.
Mr SPEAKER