5. SUE MORONEY (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister of Education
What response has she had from schools to her letter to them asking that they check they have the appropriate policies and practices in place to deal with bullying?
Hon RODNEY HIDE (Associate Minister of Education) Link to this
Schools have told the Minister that it was a timely reminder both about the support that is available for schools to deal with bullying behaviour and to check that their policies are being effective. One heated response has also been received. Surprisingly enough, this was from Labour’s candidate for Whangarei, who has featured on television, bullying other members of his profession.
Is she aware that her ministry is requiring Parklands School in Motueka to re-enrol a student it had excluded for threatening to kill a teacher and physically harming other students, even though that school had used all of the appropriate measures available to it, including school-wide Positive Behaviour for Learning, initiated by her Government?
With the greatest respect, I do not think it is helpful for any of the children involved in this specific case that we talk about it in the House, but I can tell the House that officials have been asked to explore other options for this case.
Why did she watch silently while schools like Morrinsville College were attacked by the media for their response to violent bullying, but then joined in when egged on by the Prime Minister by writing a letter that blamed schools, when she knew all along that those schools are at the mercy of her Ministry of Education and can be required to re-enrol students that they have excluded?
I utterly reject that characterisation of the Minister’s behaviour. I have to say that it is a bit rich to be lectured about bullying by Labour members. They should talk to Chris Carter and Judith Tizard. [ Interruption]
Mr SPEAKERThat is enough. Members should resist such provocative tones, but I do accept that the question was somewhat provocative, and therefore a provocative answer is not totally unreasonable.
Jo GoodhewThe Government takes bullying extremely seriously. In addition to writing to boards we have also convened a meeting of sector representatives and relevant Government agencies to take a look at what we are doing and whether it has been effective. I have to say that this is in complete contrast to Labour’s approach, which when in Government was to produce, through Chris Carter—
Catherine Delahunty Link to this
Tēnā koe, Mr Speaker. Tēnā koutou e te Whare. Does she agree that bullying and homophobia, which have been identified as a major problem in schools, are also a problem in wider society, and that bullying and homophobia also take place in this Parliament?
In so far as the Minister can be responsible for any of those things, he can comment on the question.
Yes, I do. I think we all have to work hard to provide leadership. I think here of Mr Damien O’Connor. I think here of the behaviour of the Labour caucus towards Judith Tizard and Chris Carter, and also of the fact that the caucus is ganging up on Phil Goff and bullying him all the time.
To the Minister of Education on issues that she is actually responsible for—what will she do to support Parklands School, its students, board of trustees, and the excluded student, given that today is Pink Shirt Day, when the Mental Health Foundation asks all New Zealanders to show they do not tolerate bullying?
I can assure the House that the ministry and the Minister will be providing all the support that is appropriate in this case. May I say that this is a lot more than Labour did, which was to produce this little flimsy pamphlet with a word finder in it all about bullying.
I seek leave to table a letter dated 11 April from the office of the Hon Anne Tolley written to school principals and telling them to get their house in order around the issue of bullying.
Hon Trevor Mallard Link to this
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. I want to make it clear to the House that Labour has a spare supplementary question and if Heather Roy wishes to take it we will be happy—
The House will come to order. It has had a bit of fun over this question, but it will now come to order. That is not the way supplementary questions can be reallocated. The Speaker should be advised of them, and the time of the House should not be taken up in that manner.
I seek leave of the House to table this Labour Government policy and pamphlet on bullying in our schools with the word finder and the puzzle.