Upston Louise: Financial Review Debate — In Committee 
Upston Louise: Financial Review Debate — In Committee 
[Volume:661;Page:9489] 
LOUISE UPSTON (National—Taupo) 
: 
 It is an absolute delight to speak about the financial review of the Ministry of Education. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to deliver a brighter future to every New Zealand child and I am proud to be working with a Minister of Education who has the courage to take the steps needed to do that. Before the election National promised to deliver national standards. In December 2008 just before Christmas we passed legislation that would see national standards in every school and legislation to make sure that more of our young students attend school. 
I will focus on the issues. They are the important things that are being delivered in education by the Ministry of Education. This Government is determined to do better for the one in five children who currently leave school after 10 years unable to read write and do maths. That is a disgrace and members on that side of the Chamber are unwilling to own that failure—one in five. Those members do not like it and they will not listen. We recognise that a strong foundation in literacy and numeracy is vital. That is the one priority and that is what the Ministry of Education has been delivering. It is fantastic news. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I think she believes it. 
LOUISE UPSTON 
: We need our children to be able to read write and do maths but unfortunately Mr Mallard does not believe that which is a great disappointment to members on this side of the Chamber. 
Our priority is national standards. They are simply signposts. They describe what children in years 1 to 8 should be able to achieve and by when. Teachers will assess—[ 
Interruption 
] 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: I am sorry to interrupt the member. I am having difficulty hearing. Interjections are fine but running commentaries are not. I cannot hear the member so I ask members to tone it down. I am happy with interjections but not with running commentaries. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. I wish you had done that during the previous speech. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: The member was speaking then and I know that there were interjections but the member was able to be heard and I could hear what the member was saying. I do— 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: They were constant. 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: I hear where the member is coming from. I am having difficulty hearing this member. I ask members to please be quiet. I am having difficulty hearing this member and I am asking to be able to hear her so that I know what is being said. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Chairperson. Are you saying that there are two standards in this House: one for members who have strong voices and one for weak members? 
The CHAIRPERSON (Lindsay Tisch) 
: I have made my ruling. I am asking members to tone it down. Interjections are fine but not running commentaries. It is such that I cannot hear the member. 
LOUISE UPSTON 
: Just to reiterate the national standards are quite simple; they are signposts for years 1 to 8. I have three children in years 1 to 8 so this is really important to me as a parent. It is important as a parent to be able to know and receive information back from the school on exactly how children are doing and that is what the parents I talk to at school every week are telling me. We are investing $26 million to train and support teachers as they implement national standards. Another $36 million is being invested to help students who are identified as needing additional assistance. 
National does not believe that excellent schools are created by the Ministry of Education; they are created by excellent teachers and excellent principals. I want to give members an example of an excellent local school in my electorate. It is a decile 1—[ 
Interruption 
] Members should listen. If they cannot stand the truth they should listen up. The school is a decile 1 Maori immersion school. It does not have to have national standards but it recognises how fantastic national standards are and it will implement its own this year. It knows the values that national standards will deliver to the students in the school. It is fantastic news and I am really proud of that school for taking leadership and ensuring that its pupils learn how to read write and do maths. 
The other thing we have to crack down on—unfortunately in 9 years the previous Government it did not tackle this at all—is truancy. We know that we need to have students at school in order to teach them. It is not rocket science. Unfortunately for 9 years Labour did not tackle it or address it. Look at the report  
Attendance Absence and Truancy in New Zealand Schools in 2006 
: Labour failed miserably at keeping kids at school. Well we are not going to say that that is acceptable. We are taking action on truancy and we will put in an extra $4 million a year. I have visited schools recently to look at the data that each school is able to use with their electronic systems. It is fantastic. Teachers get to see exactly where the problem is they get to see where students are struggling and they can support those students to make sure that they are at school. 
National standards is about the future of every New Zealand child. It does not matter what race students are or what their family circumstances are. This Government aspires for those kids to do well.