Parata Hekia: Education Amendment Bill (No 2) — Second ReadingText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeParata Hekia: Education Amendment Bill (No 2) — Second Reading[Sitting date: 25 November 2014. Volume:702;Page:813. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education):I move That the Education Amendment Bill (No 2) be now read a second time. I wish to thank the members of the Education and Science Committee for their thorough consideration of all aspects of the bill. A significant number of submitters were heard by the committee reflecting strong public interest.The bill introduces a range of measures that will provide strong professional leadership for the teaching profession strengthen and lift the status of the profession promote quality teaching and leadership and increase public confidence in the integrity and quality of the teaching profession.I also wish to acknowledge the many organisations and individuals who made submissions on the bill and who attended hearings often travelling some distance to do so. These submissions informed the consideration of the committee. As a result the committee has recommended changes to improve the bill.I will speak on the changes recommended to the parts of the bill concerning the audit and moderation functions of the Education Council of Aotearoa New Zealand (EDUCANZ) the membership of EDUCANZ and the disciplinary framework. My colleague the Hon Steven Joyce will speak in more detail about the tertiary and international education aspects of the bill.The bill responds to issues identified through an extensive review and consultation process that included a review of the professional body for teachers the New Zealand Teachers Council in 2012. The review found that the council as currently structured governed and positioned was not best placed to lead the education profession. The bill establishes the Education Council of Aotearoa New Zealand which will be a new independent professional body for the education profession replacing the existing New Zealand Teachers Council. I would like to again express my thanks to the New Zealand Teachers Council for the outstanding work that it has done over the duration of its existence and thank it for the work that it will continue to do until the new body is in place.The quality of teaching and education leadership has a direct impact on educational success. Supporting a transformed professional body is one of a number of reforms by this Government to influence the quality of teaching leading and learning and is the cornerstone of our quality teaching agenda. Other initiatives include the $359 million investment in professional career pathways over the next 4 years. These roles will recognise and use talent where it is needed most. They will be implemented from next year to support communities of schools across the country. Importantly the pathways will have a focus on supporting teachers to collaborate to lift achievement.The annual Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards recognise and celebrate outstanding achievements in early childhood education primary and secondary schooling and secondary-tertiary transitions. The inspiredbyU website is where people can write public postcards of thanks to their inspiring teachers. The education festivals in Auckland Wellington and Christchurch showcase school best practice to each other to parents and to the community and celebrate what is happening in our schools. There are the new postgraduate qualifications in initial teacher education and the sector-led review of professional learning and development. The teaching profession makes a powerful contribution to lifting student achievement. This Government is backing our teaching profession to win—in policy in practice in funding and in law.The Education Amendment Bill (No 2) has three main objectives. The first is to ensure that New Zealand’s education sector is equipped to meet the challenges and opportunities of the modern learning context. To meet this objective the bill establishes EDUCANZ as an independent statutory professional body led by a board appointed on the basis of skills and experience for teachers and education leaders across early childhood education and schooling. Teaching needs a strong professional body that provides leadership to and is owned by the profession. As an independent statutory board EDUCANZ will use its skills expertise and authority to provide important leadership and regulation for the teaching profession. EDUCANZ will promote educational leadership accountability and high standards within the system; help to drive continuous improvement by strengthening and streamlining quality assurance processes; and establish a regulatory framework for the protection of children and for discipline.The second objective is to create a regulatory environment that promotes accountability and high standards. To achieve this the bill will strengthen the regulatory framework for teaching to ensure consistently high standards of entry into the profession and ongoing competence of teachers and education leaders. The bill clearly separates registration which recognises that a graduate is qualified to become a member of the profession from the issuing of practising certificates which recognise the competencies and experience required to work successfully as a teacher.The third objective is to drive continuous improvement in the education sector by clarifying streamlining and strengthening processes. As such the bill will bolster and simplify the disciplinary regime to ensure that there are high standards of conduct and that the response to possible misconduct is timely effective and fair.The bill generated a lot of public interest which was reflected in the number of submissions received by the Education and Science Committee. The committee has carefully considered all of the submissions and as a result a small number of changes to the bill have been recommended. These changes help further clarify the intent of the bill and the functions of EDUCANZ. By a majority the committee has recommended a change to the membership requirements for the council to the effect that at least five members must be registered teachers who hold a current practising certificate. As originally drafted the bill required a maximum rather than a minimum. It also required that members be registered teachers but did not specify that such members must also hold a current practising certificate.The bill’s intent was that the council of EDUCANZ would have a strong core of members with current teaching experience as well as broader skills in governance financial management leadership and understanding of partnership principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi. I am very supportive of this recommendation as it clarifies the membership requirements as well as the intent of the bill.By a majority the committee has recommended a change to one of the functions of EDUCANZ. EDUCANZ is required to undertake audit and moderation of the assessment process and the issue of at least 10 percent of practising certificates in each year. The change clarifies that the purpose of this function is to ensure that both the process undertaken by professional leaders for the issue of practising certificates and examples of such achieve the required standard and consistently so.The committee has also recommended a number of technical amendments—for example providing more precise specification of some details regarding mandatory reporting requirements ensuring all mandatory reports are made in writing and including concerns about teachers who rather than resigning merely finish a fixed-term appointment. Previously these teachers were not covered by the reporting regime. The amendments clarify that EDUCANZ may charge for the provision of goods and services consistent with its functions and provide increased transparency in response to the recommendations of the regulatory review.By a majority the committee has recommended some technical amendments regarding the powers of the complaints assessment committee to provide for consistency in committee procedure. These ensure the committee’s powers relate only to matters that are not serious misconduct as these matters are to be dealt with by the Education Council Disciplinary Tribunal. Changes also clarify that the complaints assessment committee may take more than one of the actions open to it.The Government intends to support the amendments recommended by the majority of the committee. We want to build on the good practice that occurs in schools every day and support the education system to promote high professional standards performance and accountability and thereby continue to raise achievement for all children and young people.To conclude the bill introduces a range of measures that provide strong professional leadership strengthen and lift the status of the profession promote quality teaching and leadership and increase public confidence in the integrity and quality of the teaching profession. I am confident that this bill supports the Government’s aim of strengthening and raising the status of the teaching profession and the quality of teaching and leadership within it. I now commend the Education Amendment Bill (No 2) to the House.