Barnett Tim: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Barnett Tim: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:606;Page:3480] 
7.  
TIM BARNETT (NZ Labour—Christchurch Central) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: What reports has he received on the development of immersion early childhood education? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister of Education) 
: 
 In July 1999 there were over 1000 centres 642 of which operated programmes for between 81 percent and 100 percent of the time in a particular language including Maori and the Pacific languages. I have also received a report on Te Waka Huruhurumanu ki Otautahi an early-childhood centre in Christchurch. It is licensed to take 37 children and it shares some facilities with the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology Early Learning Centre which is licensed for 47 children. I am further advised that there are Pakeha children in the Maori language centre and Maori children in the general centre based on parental choice. That arrangement based on parental choice of language is described by Nick Smith as apartheid. 
Tim Barnett 
: Does he support parents having choices in the primary language of instruction in early-childhood centres? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I most certainly do as far as is practical. Clearly in some areas where there is not the demand for particular languages one way or other it is not practical and therefore it cannot be guaranteed. But as in Christchurch and as in Hamilton where my own children went to a bilingual language school I think it is particularly important that parents have that choice—a choice Nick Smith wants to deny them. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: What sort of signal is sent to children each day when they come through the entrance of the new Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology Early Learning Centre and Maori children are segregated to the left and other children to the right—that is what the signs say—and for those children— 
Hon Ken Shirley 
: What does the sign say? 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: The sign says “Tamariki to the left children to the right”—and for those children to be fenced off from playing with each other to have separate sleeping and eating areas; does the Minister agree with his ministry that that new segregated design is the model of the future?  
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: For the member’s information “tamariki” is the Maori word for children; and for kids going to Maori learning immersion centres I would expect that to be the sign used. This Government has encouraged in Christchurch—and in Mangere where Phillip Field has taken a lead—multiple-language centres using some common facilities such as staff facilities. What also happens in that centre and will also happen in the Mangere centre is that staff members when they are pushed to have licensed people or when people are sick are able to cover for each other in a way that could not happen if they had to go down the road. It is logical. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. Standing Order 372(2) states: “The reply to any question must be concise and confined to the subject-matter of the question asked”. The question asked first what signal it sends to children; and secondly that the ministry has said this is the model of the future and is that the case? The Minister made no attempt to answer either of those quite relevant questions. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I am happy to have another go. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister might be happy to have another go but I have to bear in mind the wishes of all the other members of the House who might want to ask and answer the questions concerned. The Minister’s answer was too long. However he addressed the question. But it was too long and I shall make sure that there will not be any long ones for the rest of this question. 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: Is homeland language immersion in early-childhood education to be made available together with appropriate materials and properly trained teachers for every one of the 160-plus language groups in New Zealand; if not which groups will get this opportunity and which ones will not? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I do not have the information as to the quality of the material but my understanding is that as at 1999 when I took over we had language groups—and I do not know the degree of immersion—in Afrikaans Albanian Cook Island Maori French Hindi Japanese Korean Malaysian Maori Niuean Northern Chinese Persian Russian Samoan Tokelauan and Tongan. 
Hon Dr Nick Smith 
: I seek leave of the House to ask a further supplementary question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to ask a further supplementary question. Is there any objection? There is.