[Sitting date: 03 December 2014. Volume:702;Page:8. Text is subject to correction.]

10. CHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) to the Minister of Education : Does she agree with the Prime Minister’s statement that “If those partnership schools don’t succeed the Government will be just as quick to close them down as we have been to establish them”?

Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education): Yes.

Chris Hipkins : Was a readiness assessment report completed on the Whangaruru partnership school before it opened at the beginning of this year; if so, what did it conclude?

Hon HEKIA PARATA : Yes, a readiness review was conducted, as we do that for all new schools, and it found that Whangaruru had challenges, which were not unexpected because, of course, Whangaruru caters to kids who have been out of school for a year, 2 years, 3 years. This is a very challenging group of students, and the readiness review indicated that they were dealing with those challenges.

Chris Hipkins : Was the time period for the readiness review to be completed for the Whangaruru partnership school extended until August this year, 8 months after the school first started operating; if so, why?

Hon HEKIA PARATA : The school first started operating in February, and, yes, it was extended, and it was extended because the school was dealing with these challenges. This is not unlike what we do for schools all around the country where they need extra time, where they need interventions, where they need commissioners. Because they are facing these problems, we do our very best to support them. Why ? Because we want these kids to have a shot at a great education.

Chris Hipkins : What is the point of completing a readiness report before a charter school is allowed to open, if the readiness report highlights major problems, as has clearly been the case with Whangaruru, and yet the school is allowed to open anyway, regardless?

Hon HEKIA PARATA : The member seems unable to understand the answers I have already given. We do readiness reviews—[Interruption ] I will speak slowly. We do readiness reviews for all new schools, and we do it on the basis that we are able to give them informed and targeted support to get past their establishment year. These are partnership schools but we do it for all new schools.

Chris Hipkins : Why has the readiness report for Whangaruru school not been publicly released, the way the readiness reports for the four other charter schools have been?

Hon HEKIA PARATA : Whangaruru has been subjected to an unprecedented level of scrutiny. It is a new school. It is dealing with a very challenging roll of students. The readiness review has been provided to Ngā Parirau Mātauranga Charitable Trust, the trust that is the school’s sponsor. It is preparing a response plan to that. At the point that it has that, the Ministry of Education will release both reports .

Chris Hipkins : Why was Whangaruru partnership school allowed to open despite major issues being raised in the readiness review process, including management infighting; major health and safety issues including bullying and drug use; and ongoing concerns about the quality of teaching, learning, and student engagement?

Hon HEKIA PARATA : The sequence of events was actually that proposals were put by sponsors. Those proposals were rigorously reviewed. In that process, Whangaruru was given approval to go ahead. It began its establishment and then a readiness review was developed to ensure that it had the targeted support it needed to be successful. That is the process that it has been through. Readiness reviews occur once the establishment has been approved.

Chris Hipkins : When the Prime Minister said that the Government would be quick to close down failing schools, just how quick did he mean, given that Whangaruru has been operating for nearly a year, continues to receive funding well in excess of the number of students that actually attend the school, and continues to be plagued by serious problems, including drug use, bullying, and concerns about the quality of teaching, learning, and student engagement?

Hon HEKIA PARATA : The school—a new school dealing with very difficult students who have been out of the other schools in the area—has been operating under the glare of public scrutiny for 10 months; not for a year but for 10 months. We have schools across New Zealand that had been established for many years and they have commissioners in them, and we are working to help them be successful as well. We want every young New Zealander to have an opportunity to be successful educationally, and this is another option.

ENDS

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