6. Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour—Hutt South) Link to this
to the Minister of Education
Does she stand by her statement in relation to the implementation of the national standards “The Trustees, who govern schools on behalf of communities and parents, were extremely supportive”?
Hon ANNE TOLLEYHon Trevor Mallard Link to this
Did she read all letters and emails she received from trustees between 2 July 2009 and 13 May 2010 on the national standards issue?
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I seek leave to table a letter from Lorraine Kerr of the New Zealand School Trustees Association, complaining of the Minister not reading a briefing letter on national standards.
Mr SPEAKER
Louise UpstonI have seen one report from a school board that said “We believe that parents have a fundamental right to receive information regarding the progress of their child through the school.” This Government agrees with it.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
What has led her to believe that boards of trustees are extremely supportive of national standards, when of the 51 letters and emails she received and released earlier this month only one was supportive?
If one takes a quote out of context it does not always work. The quote in the primary question related to a press release I made after attending the national conference of the New Zealand School Trustees Association. I can tell members that its members were extremely supportive of national standards. I know, because I was there and that member was not.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
Does she feel that she has misled the public in claiming trustees are supportive of national standards, when less than 2 percent of the correspondence she has received from trustees is supportive of national standards, and she has publicly interpreted that as trustees being extremely supportive?
No. As I say, at the annual conference of the New Zealand School Trustees Association, the president of that association, who along with her executive has been extremely supportive of national standards, got a standing ovation. That was a very good sign that the 600 representatives at that conference were supportive of the executive’s stance.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
Which of the following comments about national standards that she has received from members of boards of trustees led her to believe that they are extremely supportive of those standards: “We hold grave concerns.”, “National standards will stifle student and teacher creativity.”, “It is my opinion that this project would be best dropped.”, “I wish to formally state my concerns against the proposed national standards.”, or “We have decided we will not be implementing national standards at out school.”; which of that representative sample of the correspondence to her from trustees, 96 percent of which expressed opposition, led her to believe that trustees are extremely supportive?
Those individual boards and individual members have every right to hold an opinion about anything that a Government or an Opposition does. However, boards of trustees are Crown entities and they have to obey the law of a democratically elected Government. If they do not, there are consequences.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I seek leave to table the entire correspondence that the Minister has received from trustees, which she released to me under the Official Information Act, and which indicates that 96 percent of the boards that have corresponded with her are opposed to the standards.
Leave is sought to table those documents. Is there any objection? There is objection. I call Rahui Katene.
Rahui KateneI have called Rahui Katene. She is towards the back of the House and I want to hear her supplementary question.
What involvement has there been with boards of trustees of kura kaupapa Māori and kura-ā-iwi about ngā whanaketanga rūmaki Māori—Māori medium national standards—and what feedback has there been from those trustees?
Consultation and information gathering about ngā whanaketanga were based on 14 regional hui. These were held from March to May of this year, and offered an opportunity for iwi, families, whānau, teachers, and school leaders—including boards of trustees—to provide feedback on the standards. More than 800 participants attended and feedback was received through both oral and written media. The third source of information is ongoing, in-depth engagement from March to December of this year with the sector, including boards of trustees from 42 schools with Māori medium settings. Most of the feedback, I understand, has been extremely positive and constructive.