Cunliffe David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeCunliffe David: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 01 July 2014. Volume:700;Page:19030. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]3.Hon DAVID CUNLIFFE (Leader of the Opposition)to the Prime Minister: Does he have confidence in the Minister of Education and all of her decisions?Rt Hon JOHN KEY (Prime Minister):Yes.Hon David Cunliffe: Did the Prime Minister agree with the decision in 2011 to increase class sizes which was heavily criticised for cherry-picking research misinterpreting findings and the Government deliberately ignoring conflicting studies?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: By definition yes because it went through Cabinet. The view taken was that a small increase in class sizes with money used to lift professional development at a time when the country was cash-strapped would deliver better results for New Zealand children.Hon David Cunliffe: In light of that answer when he announced his teacher bonuses and part-time principals policy to try to recover lost ground in education did he expect it to be received as unworkable and lacking direct benefit for children and so bad that teachers and principals were actually willing to turn down pay rises of up to $40000 a year?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: We all know that the member has been working with the New Zealand Educational Institute and was very miffed when we came out with our announcement prior to them getting a chance to announce theirs. But if we go back and look at that announcement it is $359 million aimed at keeping the very best teachers in the classroom aimed very much at making sure that expert principals can go out there and lend a hand to other organisations and aimed at making sure that the very best teachers can get greater progression in their careers. That is why the Post Primary Teachers Association and other unions are supporting it. I might add that all of the unions came with the ministry when it went on a number of tours to look at this in cities where it has been very very effective.Hon David Cunliffe: In light of that answer about the importance of quality does he agree with ACT leader Jamie Whyte that schools should be like supermarkets; and what will be the special of the week at these expensive State-subsidised supermarket shop-ins?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I have absolutely no doubt what the special will be. It will be a moa burger.Hon David Cunliffe: Has the Prime Minister sought adequate funding for education when parental donations to schools have increased by 30 percent under his Government so that parents are having to shell out tens of millions of dollars every year for the cost of their kids’ education?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: This year the Government has allocated $10.1 billion for education a record in the history of New Zealand. I do not want to remind the member but the last time members opposite were in Government there were donations being made by parents back then just as there are today.Hon David Cunliffe: I am sure he believes that if he looks after the pennies the pounds will look after themselves. Does he therefore stand by his decision to transfer responsibility for the Novopay debacle from Hekia Parata to Steven Joyce given that she could not fix it and he could not either?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I know what she did do and that was to inherit it from Labour. Actually I think we would all agree that Mr Joyce has done an outstanding job in a very difficult situation resolving those issues across the country. I guess that back in the days when moas walked around New Zealand there were not computer systems to pay teachers. Nowadays there are and under a National Government we are fixing that up.Hon David Cunliffe: Does the Prime Minister stand by each of his Government’s decisions in education over the last 6 years including increasing class sizes introducing charter schools the debacle over closing Christchurch schools Novopay and now teacher bonuses?Rt Hon JOHN KEY: I think it is best summed up with a few stats. In 2008 66.5 percent of young New Zealanders got National Certificate of Education Achievement (NCEA). Today that is 76.8 percent. Back in 2012 even the number of Māori students with NCEA level 2 was 44.4 percent. Today it is 58.6 percent. If we look at Pasifika students we see that back in 2008 55.3 percent of them had NCEA level 2. Today it is 71.8 percent. We know it is the same in terms of participation in early childhood education and we certainly know if we look at the results of students going through our tertiary facilities that they are doing extremely well. Also if the member wanted to spend a bit of time wandering around Christchurch he might be surprised to find how much support there is for the Government actually spending $1 billion on new schools—Dr Megan Woods: Oh rubbish!Rt Hon JOHN KEY: —than half a billion dollars on old ones. The members opposite say “Rubbish!” so I welcome them to go to Christchurch and say they will build the old schools back and not build the new ones. Good luck. I will see you down there at the press debate.