Hipkins Chris: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHipkins Chris: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 17 November 2015. Volume:710;Page:8028. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]9.CHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) to the Minister of Education: Does she have confidence that she is receiving quality independent advice from her officials?Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education): Yes.Chris Hipkins: Has she received advice indicating that the vast bulk of support for students with special needs who are sitting National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) exams has been going to students at the wealthiest schools; if so why has that huge inequity not been addressed?Hon HEKIA PARATA: The member is fully versed on that because I have answered that in written questions to him—so yes I have provided those answers. The member is also aware as is the House that I have said repeatedly that we are not yet in a good enough place but that we have improved significantly. However the House needs to be aware that having softened the criteria by which schools can apply and having provided support for schools to apply we cannot make schools apply—98.4 percent of all applications were approved. Schools need to apply and we will work with them to be successful.Chris Hipkins: How is it equitable for only 450 students at decile 1 to 3 schools to gain that support whilst over 3000 students at decile 8 to 10 schools got the same level of support in the past year?Hon HEKIA PARATA: As I answered very fully in my answer to the primary question it is a matter of schools applying.Chris Hipkins: Why did staff in her office require ministry officials to change advice in a briefing to her that indicated that the changes she implemented over the past year have not addressed the huge inequity in who receive special assessment support with the NCEA exams?Hon HEKIA PARATA: I saw and signed the final report and again as the member is fully aware since he has the email exchange none of what he alleges is true.Chris Hipkins: Does she believe that it is acceptable for the Education Review Office to change its independent recommendations after consultation with the Ministry of Education; if so what is the purpose of having the Education Review Office as an independent agency?Hon HEKIA PARATA: Again as the member is aware because he is in possession of the letter that the chief review officer provided in response to those scurrilous allegations about the professional integrity of herself and her office which that story has alleged it is very much misplaced. It is a matter of fact that the Education Review Office and the ministry talk to each other. The Education Review Office as an independent evaluative agency makes assessments that have implications for the policy and operations of the ministry so it would be nonsense for it not to ensure that it was serving the education sector well.Chris Hipkins: Is she satisfied that she is getting value for money from the 200 percent increase in the Ministry of Education’s public relations budget in light of the growing number of revelations that it is using this extra resourcing to operate war rooms to reduce embarrassment to the Government?Hon HEKIA PARATA: I think it is more important that the sector feels it is getting value for moneyand the sector tells me—Hon Members: They don’t.Hon HEKIA PARATA: Well of course the member speaks only to a particular element of the sector whereas I of course speak to and listen to the full range and they are getting value for money.