Mr SPEAKER: Question No 8, Chris Hipkins.
CHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) to the Minister of Education: Does she stand
by her Government’s commitment that if partnership schools don’t succeed
“the Government will be just as quick to close them down as we have been to establish them”;
if so, how much taxpayer money is expected to be received
by the Whangaruru partnership school between 28 May 2015,
the date the Ministry recommended termination of its contract, and 1 January 2016?
Mr SPEAKER: My office has been advised this answer may be slightly longer than normal.
Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education): Tēnā koe, Mr Speaker. Yes; the decision
to allow Te Pūmanawa o te Wairua to continue operating was made
in the best interests of the kids. These are not just any kids;
these are some of the most vulnerable kids in our country, who face a bleak future
if they are unable to gain educational qualifications. I want to give them
every chance possible to do that. The Ministry of Education did not
recommend termination of the school’s contract, but it did advise me, following the specialist audit,
that the grounds for termination existed should I choose to do so.
As I have already stated, to terminate in the middle of the school year would not be
in the best interests of these kids. Te Pūmanawa o te Wairua will continue
to operate under its contract and will therefore receive $412,000 per quarter.
This is the money that would have been spent had these kids attended other schools.
In addition, the kura may receive up to $129,000, following discussions with
the Ministry of Education, which will allow for implementation of its remedial plan
and to fund external expertise.
Finally, the board of the school is very aware that I have reserved the right
to terminate the agreement before the end of the year if I am not satisfied
students are receiving the standard of education they deserve and need.
Chris Hipkins: Did she receive and read the report from the Ministry of Education
dated 28 May 2015 that states: “We recommend that the Minister of Education … agree to issue,
"under clause 25 of the Agreement, the Sponsor with the attached notice proposing termination
"of its Partnership School Agreement;”; if so, how does she reconcile that with the comment
that she just made, saying that she never received a recommendation to close the school?
Hon HEKIA PARATA: I did read that report, and the reason the member has it is that
I made it publicly available.
At the time that the ministry was writing that report, on 28 May, the ministry
was concerned that those who were in charge of the school were resistant
to the kinds of changes that were needed to ensure that these kids were given a better education.
Since then, the board chair has been changed. Since then, they have accepted the appointment
of a trustee with an education focus. Since then, there is an appointee
who will deal with the business side of things. Since then, there is a new educational leader.
Am I prepared to go further for these 39 kids in the hope that they might get a better education? Yes.
Chris Hipkins: So she did get a recommendation—
Mr SPEAKER: Order! Just ask the supplementary question.
Chris Hipkins: Did she receive advice from the Ministry of Education:
“The Ministry considers that the performance failures are not capable of remedy.”;
if so, what evidence did she rely upon when she made the decision to ignore that advice
and keep the school open?
Hon HEKIA PARATA: Yes, and the answer— the very full one I just gave
to the first supplementary question— explains why I chose to take
a different course of action.
At the time that advice was proffered, it was clear that the governance and management
of the school were not delivering what was required for the kids. Now I am satisfied
that with the new governance and the new educational leadership we will have more
optimism that these young people will get educational qualifications. [Interruption]
And your colleagues crowing beside you, who have seen Pasifika education go up
under this Government because we have gone the extra leg, should be applauding that
rather than crowing over there.
Chris Hipkins: If the well-being of the students in question are indeed
the Minister’s primary concern, did she receive and read the advice from the Ministry of Education:
“The Ministry already has measures in place to transition students attending the school
"to other schools.”; if so, why is she saying she needed to keep the school open in order
to give those kids an education?
Hon HEKIA PARATA: Yes, I both received and read— and considered and deliberated and discussed—
the report of 28 May, and I made the decision I made based on the answers I have already given
in the previous two supplementary answers.
Chris Hipkins: Why should the public of NZ have any more confidence in her decision
to ignore the advice from the Ministry of Education to close the school than they did
in her decision to ignore the Ministry of Education’s advice not to open the school
in the first place, given the litany of failure that has followed?
Hon HEKIA PARATA: I completely understand that the member cannot differentiate
between advice given in one set of circumstances and advice given in another set of circumstances.
But I think the public should have confidence that this Government has been prepared
to go the extra mile for kids who are the most vulnerable. This has been demonstrated
not just in the education sector but across our whole social sector approach.
We are prepared to make bigger efforts, because we want these most vulnerable kids
to get the best chance possible.
Chris Hipkins: Can she now guarantee that every taxpayer dollar the school has received
as well as the $1 million more that they are expected to receive for the remainder
of this year will be spent appropriately and for the benefit of students’ education?
Hon HEKIA PARATA: As with the other $10.8 billion in Vote Education that is entrusted to boards of trustees
across the country, I cannot make guarantees of that nature, but I am confident that every school
sets out to do the best that it possibly can, and I expect that of this school,
and we will be monitoring it. [Interruption]
We will be monitoring—what a sad sack those members are.
Mr SPEAKER: Question No 9, Todd Muller.
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