10. Question No. 10—EducationERICA STANFORD (National—East Coast Bays) to the Minister of EducationQuestion No. 10—Education10. ERICA STANFORD (National—East Coast Bays) to the Minister of Education: On what date was she provided with the term 3 2022 attendance data by the Ministry of Education and why was the data not released publicly until just yesterday?Hon JAN TINETTI (Minister of Education): To the first part of the question my office received the final copy of the term 3 attendance report from the Ministry of Education on 14 December. Additional data was then sent to my office on 20 December. And to the second part of the question the Ministry of Education are responsible for the release of the attendance data. Releasing the data right before Christmas when schools had finished for the year would have been cynical. Therefore the ministry released the data at the start of the year to help raise awareness of the issue so that parents students and schools are reminded that we need to continue to have a razor-sharp focus on turning the attendance rates around in 2023.Erica Stanford: Why is she continuing to say that the release of the term 3 data is not up to her but the Ministry of Education when comments from a senior analyst from the Ministry of Education in an email to my office state that the release of the data depends on the Minister's approval?Hon JAN TINETTI: I can categorically tell that member that the Ministry of Education is responsible for the data. I have no say over that. The ministry aims to get the data out as quickly as possible but it is important that the data is both accurate and the contextual information is provided. I'm advised that sometimes this process can be delayed for publication. For example last year term 3 data for 2021 was released in April 2022 so if we were to follow the member's logic we are actually early with the term 3 data this year. I also remind the member that there is no requirement to release the data.Erica Stanford: Point of order Mr Speaker. I seek leave to table an email received by my office from a Ministry of Education official stating the final attendance data depends on the Minister's approval.SPEAKER: Leave is sought for that purpose. Is there any objection? There appears to be none. It may be tabled.Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.Erica Stanford: Who is the public supposed to believe: the deputy secretary at the Ministry of Education who on 7 December at select committee said that the data was expected any day now and would be released before Christmas; or the Minister of Education who has claimed in recent media interviews that another eight weeks of analysis was required which happened to perfectly coincide with her policy announcement yesterday?Hon JAN TINETTI: Arguing about when the data is released is a waste of time. The Government is focused on solutions. We have solutions about putting children and young people at the centre of the response to the attendance issue. If the member wants to continue carrying on arguing about when the data is released carry on but that won't make the difference; our policies will.Erica Stanford: Can the Minister categorically state here in the House today that she played no part in the delay of the release of the information when it was made available to her on 20 December?Hon JAN TINETTI: I already have. It is a decision for the Ministry of Education.Erica Stanford: Can she explain how releasing the attendance data before Christmas would have been cynical as she stated in the media yesterday and again today but sitting on the data for another two months and releasing it the same day as her policy announcement is not cynical?Hon JAN TINETTI: Absolutely. Yes I can. I know that the member has not worked in schools but schools have finished by 20 December. Who will make the big difference to attendance? It's our whānau and it's our schools. Putting it out when they can have the focus on it and not be concerned when they've had a really tough year around what they're doing the following year—that won't make the difference. I know this from experience. Please listen.