Delahunty Catherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Delahunty Catherine: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 20 September 2012. Volume:684;Page:5513. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
12. 
CATHERINE DELAHUNTY (Green) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: What educational achievement criteria were used to choose the schools proposed for closure or merger in Christchurch and Canterbury? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education) 
: 
 Educational achievement criteria were one of a number of factors in determining the proposals. The Ministry of Education has also considered demographic shifts and demographic projections viability of land and compromised infrastructure. Educational achievement information included Education Review Office reports and the cycle of return review the level of student engagement and National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) data. 
Catherine Delahunty 
: How can educational achievement data be relied upon when Christchurch principals say that ministry data provided to them under her supposed renewal plan is fundamentally wrong including NCEA results being out by up to 30 percent stand-down rates being completely incorrect and even the number of buildings at schools being wrong? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: I am not aware of the data being incorrect. We rely on the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and the Education Review Office to provide us with that data. 
Catherine Delahunty 
: Will all New Zealand schools now be assessed for survival based on their educational achievement? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: We have always been focused on the educational achievement of schools. That is why Governments invest in schools—so that students achieve. 
Catherine Delahunty 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question asked whether the schools would now be assessed for their survival. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Indeed. I hear the point the member is making. The member actually asked whether schools remaining open or being closed would be based on that matter. 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: In the context of Christchurch not only are we interested in how we repair and renew the network there we are also interested in how we make the system better. So the proposals are in that context and as to whether educational achievement is part of that the answer is most unashamedly yes. 
Catherine Delahunty 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I asked the very specific question of whether all New Zealand schools— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I will save the member’s time. The member was not asking about Christchurch schools. The member was asking about the rest of the schools in New Zealand and whether educational achievement data that the member mentions was used in Christchurch would be used to decide whether other schools in New Zealand would remain open or closed. 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: When we are considering the status of schools across the country a range of factors are taken into account and that includes educational achievement. 
Catherine Delahunty 
: Will she be using the same achievement criteria to close other schools around the country and should kids in schools that tend to have lower “achievement” because of the complications of poverty be preparing to lose their schools too? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: This Government is investing considerably in raising achievement across the country—this year $9.6 billion. I think that is a testimony to this Government’s commitment to raising achievement wherever there are learners. 
Catherine Delahunty 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I understood what she was saying but it did not relate to my question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I invite the member to repeat her question so that everyone can hear it again. 
Catherine Delahunty 
: Will she be using the same achievement criteria to close other schools around the country and should kids in schools that tend to have lower “achievement” because of the complications of poverty be preparing to lose their schools too? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: No. 
Catherine Delahunty 
: What would the Minister say to children in Christchurch who have lost family members have lost their homes and are now facing the loss of their school? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: What I would say is that we are committed to ensuring that there is educational provision across the network and to that end we are investing $1 billion in 16 new schools five new schools and some new concepts about integrated whole-of-life provision including the provision of health and guidance support.