Ogilvy Bernie: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Ogilvy Bernie: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:621;Page:16310] 
5.  
BERNIE OGILVY (United Future) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: How does he explain the 37 percent increase in the number of students who have been granted exemptions to leave school before they reach the statutory leaving age from 2802 in 1999 to 3842 last year? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister of Education) 
: 
 The numbers have risen in a consistent manner since the increase in the school leaving age in 1993. 
Bernie Ogilvy 
: Does the Minister of Education continue to believe that “Many of the students being granted exemptions are truants.” and that by agreeing to exemptions the Government is basically relieving itself of any responsibility for those young people as he stated in a press release in 1997 when the number of exemptions was 2024? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: No I am concerned that young people are leaving school early. I think the matter is slightly more complicated now with— 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: It’s got worse. You’ve been caught out. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: It is slightly more complicated now because of the lower unemployment rates and the fact that so many of those people are moving into apprenticeships and jobs. I know that Nick Smith hates young people to get jobs because he tried to stop them. I am concerned about this matter and that is why the Government has introduced a student engagement initiative worth $8.6 million over 4 years. It is designed to see which of those young people can stay for longer at school. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I had hoped you might move to indicate to the Minister that that particular address to the question was inappropriate. I know that you do tolerate a degree of latitude when it comes to answers—and for that matter questions—but to make a statement as he did about the Hon Nick Smith who has considerable commitment to young people in this country I think is totally unacceptable. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Well if the member had not interjected by making that comment I most certainly would have interrupted. But he made a comment. An interjection can be replied to. 
Hon Bill English 
: Why does the Minister just not admit that he has changed his mind about the statements he made in Opposition and why does he not also admit that his 42 different initiatives for young people at risk all appear to have failed as the rate of truancy grows the rate of suspensions grows and the rate of exemptions grows? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: If the member was right I might agree with him. He is wrong. 
Metiria Turei 
: How many students have applied for exemptions because their school unlawfully asked them to leave such as the exceptional student in Whangarei whose haircut offended the principal and when will the Minister finally put in place a transparent accessible legal process for families to contest those unlawful decisions by schools? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: There are some unfortunate cases where schools react inappropriately to students. As a result of that this Government put considerable extra funding into the Office of the Commissioner for Children so that it could advocate for those young people. We do have clear transparent processes—they are called courts. 
Bernie Ogilvy 
: Is the Minister confident that the exemptions process is robust when although students who leave school must have a course or job lined up a secondary principal from his own electorate claims that the students often quit soon afterwards leading them into crime and drugs with little or no follow-up from the Ministry of Education; if so why? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: If the school the employer or the course provider has information that that is happening it has an obligation to inform the ministry. I read Rob Mill’s comments in the paper this morning and I will be checking to see which cases he has taken up with the Ministry of Education. 
Bernie Ogilvy 
: Does the Minister then stand by the claim by the Ministry of Education’s support manager Murray Williams that 99 percent of students granted early leave exemptions were successful and went on to good careers; if so whom should we believe: the school principal or the Minister’s officials who have been accused by the former of not keeping in touch with the students? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I repeat my comments that if people—schools employers or training providers—have specific examples of cases where kids are not attending as per the requirements then they should report them to the ministry. I will check to see whether that is happening. Having said that I think that the reported comments of 99 percent being successful may be a little optimistic. 
Bernie Ogilvy 
: How many exemptions does the Minister believe are granted to students who are found by schools to be increasingly difficult to control and given recent publicity criticising schools for excluding students with such behavioural problems what is he doing to ensure that parents take more responsibility for their child’s behaviour rather than playing the victim and blaming the school? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I think at some stage we are going to have to face facts. A number of years ago there was a decision taken to raise the school leaving age from 15 to 16. Some 15-year-olds are better off in a job and in getting training with that job as in an apprenticeship. I think for those kids the exemption should be used.