5. AARON GILMORE (National) Link to this
to the Minister of Education
What progress has been made reopening schools and early childhood education centres in Christchurch following the 22 February earthquake?
Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister of Education) Link to this
I am pleased to announce that as of today, other than two special schools and two private schools whose students have been accommodated elsewhere, all schools in Christchurch are now open. This means that every student in Christchurch has a school to go to. In addition to that, 74 percent of early childhood centres are now open.
It is pleasing that as of lunchtime today more than 1,600 students—actually 1,643 students—have returned to Christchurch. It was interesting to talk to students yesterday who were returning to Christchurch from Auckland. They were telling me how awesome it was that their school was now open and they could get back to some sort of normality.
We have extended the emergency funding to help provide some financial stability for early childhood education centres whose children have temporarily moved away or who are being kept at home by their parents. In addition, we have relocated 25 services into temporary accommodation. We are also providing traumatic support and counselling. We are supplying Portaloos where necessary and other logistical support and resources that centres might require.
Sue MoroneyHow many of the children returning to the early childhood education centres that have opened still face increased fees as a result of her budget cuts?
If that member cares to talk to the providers of early childhood services, she will find that they are very grateful that this Government has extended the full emergency funding to them. In addition, we are funding places for children who have enrolled in other centres throughout New Zealand. Many providers are trying just to keep their businesses together.
I raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. That was a straightforward question. The Minister did not address the question at all. I asked about the number of children returning to early childhood education facilities in Christchurch where fees had been increased, and she made no reference to that in her answer.
Mr SPEAKERQuestions can be hypothetical. In fact, the member just asked a simple question—as the member pointed out—as to how many of these children are facing higher fees. The question is capable of an answer, and there was not much of an attempt to answer it. I ask the member to repeat the question.
How many of the parents of the children returning to early childhood education facilities in Christchurch face higher fees?
I understand that the parents of those children who are returning to newly opened early childhood services are so pleased to have those services open and available to them, I can honestly say none of them have tried to play politics.
Hon Phil GoffI raise a point of order, Mr Speaker. The point of asking questions to Ministers in the House is to hold them accountable. If the Minister will not address the question asked, we have no accountability and this question time becomes a farce.
I have some sympathy with the point of order the member has made. What compounded the Minister’s error, in my view, was adding the implication that the member asking the question was playing politics. Members are entitled to ask questions. My concern about the question is that it is a wee way away from the primary question, and it may be that the Minister does not have that information with her today. But the Minister, in answering questions—and there have been three of them; four, counting the primary question—did mention children returning to their early childhood education centres. The question is a fair one. Answers have included information about children returning to early childhood education centres, and to allege that the member is playing politics in asking a fair question is not on. I invite the Minister to answer the question. The member does not need to repeat it, because we all heard it.
Grant RobertsonNo, I do not. What I have said as Minister of Education is that I have made sure the emergency funding that the Government pays to those services has continued now for 5 weeks. Whatever those businesses might care to charge or not charge parents has been nothing to do with this Government. However, no parent has tried in any way to play politics about this Government’s policies.
Is the Minister prepared to consider restoring the funding cuts to the Christchurch early childhood education centres, which led to the higher fee increases, in order to assist those families who are struggling?
Te Ururoa Flavell Link to this
Tēnā koe, Mr Speaker. How has the formalised education relationship between the Ministry of Education and Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu assisted in the post-earthquake responses to early childhood centres, schools, and kura?
Because of those relationships with Ngāi Tahu it has been very easy to make contact with them to offer support. At this stage none has been requested, but they are aware that the ministry is there and able to provide any of the services that I listed before should they require them and, indeed, if they require temporary premises.