4. Hon MARYAN STREET (Labour) Link to this
to the Minister for Tertiary Education
Does she stand by all the decisions she has made as the Minister for Tertiary Education; if not, why not?
Hon ANNE TOLLEYHon Maryan Street Link to this
Is she aware that the Prime Minister indicated to the Manukau Family Literacy Programme that he may be able to find some money for it after all, despite her original funding cut decision, but that it has now lost the opportunity to continue its programme for at least term 1 of 2010, while officials negotiate around her misguided criteria in order to meet John Key’s wishes?
I totally reject the member’s assertion that the criteria are misguided. What happened was that the request for funding did not fit the criteria, so I have instructed the Ministry of Education to work with the City of Manukau Education Trust to find a way to support the continuation of the programme.
Louise UpstonWhat announcements has the Government made recently to provide more opportunities for younger people in polytechnics?
The Government has already announced that 2,000 Youth Guarantee places are to be added to the tertiary system next year. That is 2,000 young New Zealanders who will have fees-free learning in tertiary institutions next year. Yesterday I announced that an additional $8 million of funding will be allocated across a number of polytechnics next year. It is being made available to polytechs in areas of high unemployment that have demonstrated an ability to provide for younger students.
Hon Maryan Street Link to this
Does she consider the removal under her amended legislation of guaranteed representation of students on polytechnic councils to be consistent with previous assurances she has given to students’ associations about the importance of their presence at the top decision-making table in polytechs, or is this another fix-it job for the Prime Minister?
The bill that went to the select committee provided for eight-person councils. With regard to the councils’ composition, a great many submissions expressed a desire for more community representation. The solution that the select committee has proposed is, I think, quite an elegant one; it retains an efficient governance size, and it allows the councils the flexibility to determine whom they have in those four ministerial positions.
Hon Maryan Street Link to this
Does she continue to stand by her decision to cut adult and community education funding to high schools, now that it is clear that no high school - based adult and community education will be available throughout the whole of Gisborne, Hawke’s Bay, the Hutt Valley, most of the West Coast, and large parts of north, central, east, and south Otago, or will a visit by the Prime Minister to those areas see her decision overturned?
I remind that member that she was part of a Government—in fact, she was the Associate Minister for Tertiary Education—that left a funding hole of $520 million; $520 million that had not been funded that we had to start to find and make changes around. That is the first thing. Secondly, that member continues to misrepresent—
Mr SPEAKERIt is a very interesting speech that the Minister is making, but I heard a question that asked whether the Minister stood by a certain policy. Therefore, I think the Minister in answering is expected to talk about her policy, not the Opposition’s policy. I was trying to hear some response to the question asked.
In response to the member’s continual misrepresentation of adult and community education as being provided only by schools, I say that, in fact, the instructions to the Tertiary Education Commission were to ensure that there was coverage of adult and community education across New Zealand, with it being provided by schools in some cases, polytechs, and private providers right across the country.