Strange JamieJAMIE STRANGE (Labour): Thank you for the opportunity to talk about Vote Education around the Estimates. We've heard from the Opposition about this sort of last nine years of utopia in education—how everything was so wonderful—but we inherited an absolute mess with all due respect. We inherited challenges around a rundown education system and burnt-out teachers who wanted to get back to teaching but were in this state of constant assessment and reassessment and reassessment we had students where their classrooms were having to be set up in the library of the school because they didn't have enough classrooms and we've had years of underachievement and that's why we have frustrated teachers and we understand that.In this Budget we have started to address some of these issues. I am very proud of this Budget and I'd like to acknowledge the Minister of Education who has been listening to the sector and has begun to make some of these key changes. Some of these key changes—the first one I'd like to talk about is school property. In my area of New Zealand around Hamilton it's a growth area and there are challenges around roll growth and around overcrowding. But the Minister has recognised this and has invested $1.82 million around school property—a 2 percent increase. So we've started addressing that issue. We're listening and we understand.The second one is around removing charter schools. As a coalition Government we understand the need for a diverse education system and charter schools can continue to operate within the designated character model. Within a designated character model the schools will have registered teachers and the schools will be a part of our world-class education system. Another aspect—and my colleague touched on it before—is about learning support. I'd like to give a big shout-out to all of those teachers who work in the learning support area. They do a wonderful job. They have a big heart for kids and we will support them by investing in an extra 1000 Ongoing and Reviewable Resourcing Scheme (ORRS) students. So ORRS students are students who have high learning needs and we're going to invest in this area.We're going to review the education system because we recognise there are a few challenges with NCEA. It's a model that has been with us for a number of years and there are some very good aspects to it but we're going to have a look at it. And we're going to review Tomorrow's Schools. So we're a Government that's here to listen and principals and teachers know that we're listening. Simeon Brown: Listen to partnership schools. JAMIE STRANGE: They have not been listened to for nine years Simeon—nine years Mr Brown. They have not been listened to but we have a Government who will listen to the education sector and we are. We're going to increase funding to early childhood education (ECE)—the first funding increase in this area for many years. The first five years of a person's life are absolutely vital and if we get that right—if we get the first five years right—it will set them up for lifelong learning. The increase in ECE has certainly been well received. I was at an ECE centre in Taupō last week. We've got a number of wonderful centres but they need the support and we will provide that support for them. First year fees free for tertiary students—first year fees free—and two years for apprenticeships and I'd like to focus on the apprenticeship aspect because we have a shortage of tradespeople in New Zealand. We've got an ambitious goal—which we're working well towards—to build 100000 houses and we're going to need tradespeople. So the first two years of an apprenticeship will be free and that's to incentivise people to get into the trades. We're not just talking about school-leavers. We're talking about people who may be in their 30s or 40s and who are supporting a family on a low income who want to better themselves. We're providing the opportunity for them to have the skills and to have the access to education that we need. We're removing national standards. As a teacher during the last regime this constantly came up: why do we have national standards? Why do we have national standards—and this was one of the key reasons that I stood for Parliament because national standards narrows the curriculum. But this Government is committed to a broad curriculum. This Government is committed to valuing a diverse range of learning needs. I could go on for hours but I'm going to leave it there and I'm going to say well done to our Minister of Education.