11. SUE MORONEY (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister of Education
How many schools failed to submit a National Standards-consistent charter to the Ministry of Education before last Friday’s deadline?
Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister of Education) Link to this
It is impossible to completely answer that question, because the Ministry of Education has not yet assessed all the charters. However, I am advised that by 5 p.m. on 1 July, 1,886 of the 2,075 English-medium schools with students in years 1 to 8 had submitted their charter. That compares with 1,058 submitted by 1 July last year. Initial assessments of 1,445 of this year’s charters indicate that 87 percent were compliant. I am also advised that each year over the last 10 years a number of schools have not even submitted a charter, but because the last Government never bothered to check them, no one even knows how many of those there were.
Does she agree with Mary Chamberlain from her Ministry of Education, who told Radio New Zealand National’s Insight programme on the weekend that it would take 2 years to get to the point where even 80 percent of teacher judgments would be consistent, using national standards?
Yes. That is not represented in the charters, but yes, it is right. This is a 3-year implementation programme and we are halfway through it. This year the focus is on the moderation of overall teacher judgments.
Is the Minister confirming, then, that 20 percent, or one in five, of our children will be incorrectly assessed under national standards even after 4 years of implementation?
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. This is very wide of the primary question, which was about the charters that schools submitted. I am happy to answer it, but I am making this point because if I answer the supplementary question, the debate widens. [ Interruption]
Mr SPEAKERA point of order has been called. I accept that the question is a little removed from the primary question, but I do not think it is out of order in that regard. I think what that may affect is the Minister’s ability to answer it in detail. That is the risk when members move a bit away from the primary question. But I do not think it is so far away that I should rule it out. Sue Moroney may repeat her question.
Is the Minister confirming, then, that 20 percent, or one in five, of our children will be incorrectly assessed under national standards even after 4 years of implementation?
I am not seated very far from the Minister. The Minister should have seen that I was on my feet. I am not sure whether the question deserved quite that answer. I accept that it was somewhat provocative, but I believe that the Minister went to some extreme there in answering that question. Although I will let her get away with it this time, I do not want there to be a repeat of that.
If the Minister accepts that Mary Chamberlain is correct in saying it will take 2 years to get to the point where even 80 percent of teacher judgments will be consistent using national standards, does that not mean that 20 percent will be inconsistent, leading to one in five of our children having incorrect assessments under national standards?
No, I do not follow that logic. I say to the member that national standards are a huge step forward in trying to identify those students who are not progressing as they should be. This Government is not prepared to tolerate children failing in our education system, which they had continued to do under that member’s Government.
Louise UpstonWhat feedback has she had from parents at one of the schools that claim not to have a compliant charter?
I have recently seen a letter that was sent by a parent to the New Zealand Educational Institute—the political wing of the Labour Party—which said her son’s previous school report had stated: “He was a pleasure to have in class, and was achieving fine.” Lo and behold, his first national standards report showed that the parents should be concerned. This mother said: “National standards assisted by supplying evidence-based data on our child’s achievement trail and that the lack of achievement that could be taken to medical practitioners. And now, success. It is: ‘Mum, I’ve finished my writing and I’ve moved up in my maths group.’ ” Good on him and his mother! This mother said to the New Zealand Educational Institute: “Maybe you need to expand your vision and find the balance and consider my son, who would have been another lost child in the past system. I welcome national standards.”
I apologise to the member. Both sides have been very noisy today, but I must be able to hear the supplementary question.
Thank you, Mr Speaker. Does she still stand by her threat that she made in the New Zealand Herald in December 2008 to dissolve the board and put in a commissioner if schools refused to implement national standards, and how does she intend to carry that out, given that at least 140 schools have refused to implement her standards?
There is a process that we are working through to help these boards to develop compliant charters, and the next step is to appoint an adviser under section 78K of the Education Act 1989 to assist these schools. We are in no position yet to determine whether we do need to step in and replace the board.