5. KATHERINE RICH (National) Link to this
to the Minister for Tertiary Education
Has he, NZQA, or the Ministry of Education received any complaints about Case Boreham Associates, a private training establishment training teacher-aides for schools; if so, what steps have been taken as a result of any such complaints?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN (Minister for Tertiary Education) Link to this
Yes. Since February 2005 the New Zealand Qualifications Authority has received several related complaints regarding Case Boreham Associates Ltd. That led subsequently to a range of actions relating particularly to the auditing process. In 2007, following, obviously, legal action against the company, its registration was cancelled by the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and the Tertiary Education Commission ceased its funding. The commission is now applying for a refund of the money paid out early in this current calendar year.
On what date did the Minister of Education pass on to him serious complaints he received in June 2005 about the tertiary provider that the courses were so bad students had to “teach themselves” and that the tutors were so hopeless that the New Zealand Qualifications Authority reports noted that they did not know any course content and had “little or no idea what to teach”, plus tip-offs about potential fraud—that is, taxpayers’ money being siphoned off into dodgy property deals?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
The member will appreciate that at that point I was not the Minister of Tertiary Education. The then Minister of Education dealt with the matter himself.
Dr Ashraf Choudhary Link to this
Has he received any other correspondence related to Case Boreham Associates?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
Yes. National MP Judith Collins wrote to my colleague the Minister of Education last month, requesting information on why Case Boreham Associates’ registration had been cancelled. The accompanying letter from Case Boreham Associates thanked Judith Collins for her support. I quote: “Dear Judith, Thank you for your support.”.
Judith Collins: I seek leave of the House to table my letter to the Hon Steve Maharey, including the answer I received from Mr Maharey.
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
I seek leave to table the letter from Case Boreham Associates to Judith Collins.
When the Minister says that the Minister of Education dealt with the issue himself, would he not expect that when one of his colleagues—in this case the Minister of Education—receives serious complaints about a tertiary provider, namely problems with appalling course quality and the potential misuse of tertiary funds by their being siphoned off into dodgy property deals, that Minister would pass that on to the Minister of Tertiary Education; and what discussions were had?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
At the time my colleague was the Minister responsible for both porfolios. Therefore there was no point in passing it on to himself. He did refer the matter to the New Zealand Qualifications Authority.
With reference to my colleague Judith Collins, is the Minister trying to create the impression that even though this tertiary provider failed three New Zealand Qualifications Authority audits, had tutors who could not teach, was the subject of serious allegations of siphoning taxpayers’ money into dodgy property deals, and received $1.2 million worth of taxpayer funding, somehow my learned colleague Judith Collins is responsible for that, when she was only writing a letter on behalf of a constituent asking that Minister to explain matters?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
If all those facts were known to the Opposition, it seems strange that Judith Collins should write to the Minister asking him to explain his actions in that particular respect.
Which is worse: the Government dishing out money for courses of questionable academic merit, such as twilight golf, homeopathy for pets, and radio singalongs, or dishing out money to a training organisation that is under investigation for diverting taxpayers’ money—which was supposed to be used to train teacher-aides—into property deals; and what does it take for something to be done about these kinds of disasters? Do they have to be of wānanga proportions before the Government actually does anything about them?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
That was a good try, but in fact the Government has saved something like $200 million by cancelling low-quality courses, which is why I have been able to redirect money into the polytechnics and universities. In this case, the Tertiary Education Commission has to continue funding while the organisation has New Zealand Qualifications Authority registration. Its student component funding started in 1999. Its funding from the Government started in 1993.
When this Government received continued serious complaints and tip-offs and three damning New Zealand Qualifications Authority audit reports, and was aware that liquidation papers were filed back in July 2006, why did it take until after the beginning of February, when the company had gone into liquidation, for the New Zealand Qualifications Authority to finally scrub it off its registration list?
Hon Dr MICHAEL CULLEN Link to this
If we were to respond to every complaint I receive about every organisation by deregistering them, then even Auckland University would not be receiving Government funding.