﻿Mr SPEAKER: Question No 11, Dr Jian Yang.
Dr JIAN YANG (National) to the Minister of Education:
What recent reports has she received on educational achievement for NZ?
Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education):
Tēnā koe, Mr Speaker. I am pleased to see the results
of the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA)
released overnight. It is particularly pleasing to see that the 2012 fall
in rankings has stabilised. NZ is now notably ranked 10th
out of 70 countries for reading, up from 13th; is up two places
from 23rd to 21st for maths; and has significantly improved in science
from 18th to 12th. PISA 2015 also reports that NZ has
one of the highest international proportions of all-round top achievers
in all three subjects, at 6% compared with the OECD average of 4%.
Furthermore, 20% of all NZ students assessed are among the top performers
in at least one of these subjects. This is better than the OECD average of 15%.
Dr Jian Yang: What other insight does PISA tell us about how
our education system is performing?
Hon HEKIA PARATA: I am very proud of NZ students who achieve
these excellent results, but it is balanced by my concern that we still
have too many in the lowest performing cohort and we see
little shift from Māori and Pasifika in this group. So we have more to do.
PISA is an important contribution to the indicators that tell us
how well we are doing compared with the rest of the world.
Other education systems are striving just as hard as we are
to improve, and PISA reflects that dynamic. This latest report shows
that although NZ has stabilised and improved its ranking,
other systems have fallen. Our science and reading rankings place NZ students
above countries like Australia, France, Switzerland, the United Kingdom,
and the United States.
Catherine Delahunty: Tēnā koe, Minister. Given that the PISA results show
that our schools have been unable to overcome the impact of inequality
within their walls, which was confirmed by Ministry of Education officials
at the Education and Science Committee today, will the Minister
now acknowledge the effect that not having lunch has
on a child's educational achievement?
Hon HEKIA PARATA: That, in fact, is not what the member was briefed on
at select committee this morning. In fact, Dr Jones, head of evidence,
data, and knowledge in the ministry and NZ's representative
on the international PISA board, advised select committee that in 2012
the effect of socio-economic status was 18%. It has now reduced to 13%,
which reflects how our social investment initiatives
are supporting young people to be more successful.
Dr Jian Yang: What does PISA tell us about changes we can make
to our education system to ensure NZers continue to be internationally competitive?
Hon HEKIA PARATA: Similar to the trends in international mathematics
and science study, TIMSS, released last week, PISA highlights that
there remains more work to do to lift achievement levels of Māori
and Pasifika students, who still, on average, have lower rates
of achievement than other groups. We are making significant progress
in both excellence and equity, and my work programme will continue
to build on these next year. This will include directly targeting
operational funding to students most at risk of underachievement,
better and more consistent use of data, targeted professional learning
and development, and a review of decile funding. We also want to help
more of our students and teachers by extending the educational success
we have in many of our schools, and communities of learning, or kāhui ako,
are key to this goal being achieved, as they can turn best practice
into common practice.
Catherine Delahunty: Does a child trying to do their homework
in the back seat of a car that their family lives in
place their educational achievement at risk?
Hon HEKIA PARATA: As I indicated earlier, our Government's approach to,
and record on, social investment reflects how concerned we are
to ensure that the background, the home experience, and the support
families at risk get from this Government is available to them.
Whether that is in social housing, whether that is the fact that we are
the first Government in 43 years to raise benefit rates, or whether
it is the targeted operational funding in education,
this Government is putting taxpayers' money where it matters most.
Catherine Delahunty: So is the Minister now acknowledging
that children from disadvantaged socio-economic circumstances
are at greater risk of poorer health; cold, damp homes;
and significant educational challenges, and that these issues
are actually connected?
Hon HEKIA PARATA: I have never not acknowledged that the home life
of a child has an impact. But what I have consistently said in this House
is that that does not discharge the obligation of ensuring
that every child has the best education possible,
and, as Minister of Education, that is my focus. My colleagues
are focused on the other elements that contribute to that success,
and we are working well together to ensure that those most at risk
get the support they need.
Mr SPEAKER: Question No 12.