5. Hon MARYAN STREET (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister for Tertiary Education
Does she consider the cutting of the adult and community education budget to high schools to have been a retrieval of low-value educational expenditure?
Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister for Tertiary Education) Link to this
No. The previous Government, of which the member was an Associate Minister for Tertiary Education, left the incoming Government with $500 million of unfunded tertiary commitments. We had to fund some of them, such as the CPI adjustment in 2010 and student support increases. That required reprioritisation in other areas. We also had to have a close look at every area of tertiary spending. We decided that we need to focus our dollars and attention on young New Zealanders and on ensuring that the number of higher qualifications completed increases. We are still committed to adult and community education, which is why we are investing $124 million into it.
Hon Maryan Street Link to this
Is the Minister aware that the PricewaterhouseCoopers report of June 2008 estimated that, for every dollar of Government investment in adult and community education, there is a return of between $16 and $22, not including private or volunteer contributions to the sector; if so, can she advise the House which sector of the education system gives a higher return on the Government’s investment?
Yes, I am aware of that report. The member should look closely at where PricewaterhouseCoopers got that information from. I understand that it did five case studies of different community organisations providing adult and community education. It also did a survey that was put out amongst those who participate, which, from memory, had a response number of about 500. I consider that to be a very small sample to try to extrapolate answers to those sorts of questions from.
Hon Maryan Street Link to this
What value would the Minister place on the two most popular courses offered through Counties-Manukau adult and community education programmes: English in the workplace, and the learner driver’s licence theory course, both of which are likely to be cancelled because of the cuts to adult and community education funding; and how does she expect people in the Ōtara area to pay for those courses, when the Tangaroa College investment plan clearly states that “user pays in Ōtara is not a viable option”?
I say to the member that by refocusing adult and community education on language, literacy, and numeracy, I would have thought that English in the workplace would certainly be one of the top courses that would be funded under that focus. My advice to the people who are taking part in those courses would be to be in touch with the Tertiary Education Commission to ensure that those courses are provided.
Catherine Delahunty Link to this
Tēnā koe, Mr Speaker. Tēnā koutou katoa. Can the Minister confirm that the funding for the training of Youthline volunteers who counsel distressed young people has been cut?
Hon Maryan Street Link to this
Was the Minister advised in her meeting with the representatives of the Community Learning Association through Schools recently that she risked going down in history as the Minister who killed night classes; if so, does she intend to do anything about it?
I had a very good meeting today with the representatives of Community Learning Association through Schools. We had a free and frank discussion. They put their views to me, and I explained the situation to them.
Catherine Delahunty Link to this
Does training for Youthline volunteers who counsel distressed young people fit her definition of a hobby course?
Hon Tony RyallGardening in the wind. I would suggest that Youthline or the providers of that course get in touch with the Tertiary Education Commission, which has asked schools to provide it with expressions of interest for courses that they propose to make available next year. I believe they have until 21 August to make those expressions.
Hon Maryan Street Link to this
I seek leave to table the Tangaroa College adult community education investment plan, which states that user-pays is not a viable option in Ōtara.
Mr SPEAKERHon Maryan Street Link to this
I seek leave to table a photo of yesterday’s meeting in Parliament that the Minister was unable to get to.