Turei Metiria: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeTurei Metiria: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 27 August 2013. Volume:693;Page:13102. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]3.METIRIA TUREI (Co-Leader—Green) to theMinister of Education: Does she stand by her statements in relation to Partnership School applicants that “the range of applications we have received is impressive” and what she was impressed with was “the broad range of applicants not the calibre”?Hon JOHN BANKS (Associate Minister of Education) on behalf of theMinister of Education: Yes.Metiria Turei: Was the poor calibre of applications the reason why the Government missed the June 2013 date for contracts to be signed for these schools; if not what was the reason that that date was missed?Hon JOHN BANKS: The Ministry of Education and the officials have been going through a long and rigorous programme of deliberation on all of the 35 applications to make sure that the right applications get to the right place at the right time and under intense scrutiny. We are not behind time. In the very near future we are about to announce the successful partnership schools for day one term one next year.Metiria Turei: Does the Minister consider thatCatherine Isaac head of the Partnership Schools/Kura Hourua Authorisation Board was telling the truth when she issued a press release on 8 May this year praising “the range and calibre of applicants”; if so why?Hon JOHN BANKS: I am advised that the minutes refer to the ministry’s score of how the 67-page application forms were completed; it was not an observation about the quality of the applicants as the minutes go on to point out. The authorisation board and Miss Isaac were charged with determining the quality of the applications. The applicants have been put through tight hoops and high hurdles and the very best applicants will be allowed to open a partnership school on day one term one next year.Metiria Turei: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The Minister did not answer my question.Mr SPEAKER: On this occasion I invite the member to repeat the question for the benefit of the Minister.Metiria Turei: Does the Minister consider thatCatherine Isaac head of the Partnership Schools Authorisation Board was telling the truth when she issued a press release on 8 May this year praising “the range and calibre of applicants”; if so why?Hon JOHN BANKS: I have absolute confidence that Miss Catherine Isaac the chairman of the authorisation board would always tell the truth about the 35 applicants of the partnership schools those shortlisted and the successful applicants who will open partnership schools up and down this country on day one term one next year.Metiria Turei: How can the Minister consider that Ms Isaac was telling the truth in her 8 May statement given that the day after her press statement praising these schoolswas made the board she chairs noted the low scores and the lack of capability among the 35 applicants for partnership schools?Hon JOHN BANKS: We were impressed with the 35 applicants from across the country and I am advised that what the member is talking about—low scores—is the ministry’s score of how the 67-page application forms were completed. It was about the 67-page application forms not an observation about the quality of the applicants as the minutes go on to point out. The authorisation board was charged with determining the quality of the applicants. The authorisation board has done that and has come back with a group of very successful high-quality applicants which will face statutory obligations high hurdles and tight hoops before they open on day one term one next year.Metiria Turei: I seek leave to table a copy of the 9 May minutes of the authorisation board meeting which clearly shows that the board commented on the overall level of scoring which was lower than—Mr SPEAKER: Order! That is enough of a description. Leave is sought to table the minutes dated 9 May. Is there any objection to those being tabled? There appears to be none. They can be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Metiria Turei: Has the authorisation board sought further applications given the applicants’ low overall scores and the gaps identified in business planning operations and legislative knowledge given that all of these are vital to the running of a school?Hon JOHN BANKS: They are vital to the running of these schools and the running of these schools will be set down in the statutory contract set by the Government on behalf of the people for the funding of these schools. Yes they will have high levels of accountability openness and structure around them to make them work on day one term one next year so that the underachievers in this country can have an opportunity for a world-class education as the Minister might have had.Metiria Turei: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question asked whether the authorisation board was seeking further applications given the low quality of the 35. That question has not been answered.Mr SPEAKER: Well again part of the problem is the length of the question. The question was certainly: “Has the authorisation board sought further applications?”. It is difficult for Ministers sometimes to decipher a question when it is a long-winded question with a relatively simple question in it. If the member wants to just stand and repeat the essence of the question which is: “Has the authorisation board sought further applications?” I will attempt to get an answer for the member.Metiria Turei: I will take up that opportunity. Has the authorisation board sought further applications given the 35 applicants’ low scores?Hon JOHN BANKS: No because on balance the authorisation board has come up with a number of partnership schools that will open on day one term one next year. Amongst the 35 applicants will be very high-quality people who will work in the best interests of the local community and in the best interests of underachieving schools and they will produce outcomes that are absolutely committed to a world-class education for these kids.Metiria Turei: Does the Minister think that any applicant for one of these schools should at least score highly on the operations criteria given that that is the ability to run a school?Hon JOHN BANKS: I do not have any argument with the proposition put by the member and I can tell the member that the contracts being negotiated now with the successful group of partnership school applicants will be very very tight the hurdlesvery high the hoops very tight and the accountability open and transparent. She will be able to see it for herself when all the documents are laid out in front of the country when the successful applicants are named in a very short space of time.Metiria Turei: Given the poor quality of the applications including deficiencies in operations legislative knowledge and business planning will she now reconsider this disastrous and wasteful experiment and put the money spent on these schools back into our overstretched public education system?Hon JOHN BANKS: No no and no because the successful applicants will work in the best interests of the kids from those communities who are underachievers. This will give them an opportunity for a world-class education. I am surprised that the co-leader of the Green Party would not want an opportunity for a world-class education for many of the people who fail in the present system.Chris Hipkins: How quickly will poorly performing partnership schools be closed down given that the Prime Minister is already stating: “If those partnership schools do not succeed the Government will be just as quick to close them down as we have been to establish them.”?Hon JOHN BANKS: Well I have got very good news. Because of the process that these 35 applicants have been through and because of the high quality of the final applicants that are going to be announced very soon to start on day one term one next year they will not be closed down. The only fear that members on the other side of this House have got today is that these partnership schools will work for the most vulnerable kids in our education system.Chris Hipkins: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order!Chris Hipkins: My question to the Minister was actually: “How quickly will poorly performing partnership schools be closed down?”. The Minister basically said that he did not think there were going to be any poorly performing partnership schools but he did not actually say how quickly they would be closed down.Mr SPEAKER: If he does not think there are going to be any poorly performing such schools how could he then decide how quickly they would be closed down? I think the Minister adequately addressed the question.