7. Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour—Hutt South) Link to this
to the Minister of Education
What changes did she make within Vote Education Budget 2009 relating to gifted and talented education?
Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister of Education) Link to this
The Government ceased funding for gifted and talented education professional development services through the school support service contracts. That yielded savings of $5.4 million over 4 years. The advice I received was that the funding had a limited effect in small pockets of the country but overall was not delivering system-wide changes in the practices of schools and teachers. The Government is still committed to helping gifted and talented students by providing funding of $5.28 million over the next 4 years to support initiatives for gifted and talented students.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
Why were gifted and talented children such a low priority that the Minister singled out their programmes for budget cuts and did not put the savings into more effective programmes for those children?
As I have said to the member, the advice I received was that those professional development programmes had limited and isolated reach, with not many schools benefiting from them. But we are committed to ensuring that gifted and talented students—like all students at school—are supported through the large amount of funding we spend on professional development.
Nikki KayeWhat initiatives is the Government proposing in order to deliver system-wide change to help gifted and talented students?
One example would be that in December of this year the Government plans to publish resources to support gifted education in all New Zealand schools, including identification tools and quality teaching standards. Those resources are designed to promote system-wide change to help gifted and talented students, rather than the very limited and isolated change that the spending on professional development has produced so far.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
Why are children from a generally privileged background in private schools and elite integrated schools being given money taken from gifted children in State schools?
Again, as I have already stated in this Chamber, I am confused by that member’s stance on independent schools. On the one hand he is saying that they save the State money, but on the other hand he is saying we should not be giving them any funding.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. You and I have corresponded on the issue of authentication and factual correctness in answers from Ministers. In this case the Minister is misquoting—as she did earlier—my blog on the site Red Alert. She has an obligation, if she is quoting me, to do it accurately.
Mr SPEAKERThe member cannot dispute an answer by way of a point of order. On this occasion it was a point of order; last time this matter arose I was wrong and it was not a point of order. The member has raised a point of order, and he cannot dispute an answer that way. However, I ask the Minister to come more directly to the question the member asked. It has taken an awfully long time to hear an answer.
I said to the member that the professional development services that were being delivered—that $5 million that we have taken from the Budget—was not delivering system-wide change. We are looking for system-wide change for gifted and talented students across the country. They deserve to have support. That is what we are attempting to achieve through both professional development across the board and the specific initiatives we are putting into place.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
Did she cut the money from gifted and talented education professional development because she was captured by politically correct officials who do not believe in nurturing tall poppies?