Peters Jim: Budget Debate 
Peters Jim: Budget Debate 
[Volume:626;Page:21109] 
JIM PETERS (NZ First) 
: 
 I began to wonder throughout the course of my colleague’s speech why there was a Budget lock-up. For what conceivable purpose was the time-honoured lock-up in place? Virtually all of the Budget was preordained and pre-announced. I sat there listening to the Minister of Finance outlining the major points in the Budget and waited because of my interest in education to see whether there was any concept in this Government’s mind of the real issues facing education at this point. Apart from a wee increase as the Hon Brian Donnelly has said with regards to operations funding there was no understanding of the needs of schools today in respect of the operations annual funding base. That is not just for primary schools but especially so for secondary schools. In other words in 1988 and 1989 the formula was put together that was developed for Tomorrow’s Schools. Although we have had some additional moneys at times and there was more money added this year in terms of the supposed inflation rate not $1 has been added in real terms to meet the modern needs and challenges of schools today. 
I think of that because just before the Budget and as the Budget was coming through the Hon David Cunliffe proudly announced a new information technology strategy. As he announced this new strategy and the funding that in some way was there in the Budget I recalled the last information technology strategy of 2 years ago. What happened there? Not one objective or target was met particularly in regard to Project Probe. Probe must be the most long-lasting and ineffective programme that the Ministry of Education has yet developed. I say that because three times over 3 years the Minister has announced funding of $48 million. This year just to complicate it he added a further $1.6 million to Probe. 
What is Probe about? It is meant to be about the roll-out of broadband to secondary schools throughout New Zealand. When I made inquiries of the Minister earlier this year as to what the roll-out meant—in other words what it meant in terms of the day to day effectiveness of teaching in secondary schools—the answer was that some schools have access to broadband but many regions are without it. After 3 years it is a pitiful non-performance. The $1.6 million in the Budget will not add one whit to the fact that despite the Government’s supposed intentions our students of today have been deprived of the real ability of information technology. When I compare that with Singapore or Western Australia I see we are woefully behind. Nothing in this Budget will catch up the gaps that are there at present. 
But far bigger than that is the issue of the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA). I particularly looked for some strength and energy in the Budget on this issue and it was not there. I want to take a few minutes to relate very quickly the heartfelt expression of a Wanganui City College girl who said: “All we wanted from NCEA was reassurance.” She said she came to the Youth Parliament last year and was completely confounded by the fact that as the members of the Youth Parliament questioned more closely the Ministry of Education officials and the New Zealand Qualifications Authority they became very very aware that the NCEA system did not work. Furthermore they were amazed to find when asking the officials who were here at the time last year how long it would take to work and when it would be reviewed that it would take 8 to 10 years. What an indictment on the present Government! It will take 8 to 10 years gambling with people’s lives—gambling with the right that students have to a creditable qualification. What will happen when they finally realise it does not work? That question was left unanswered. 
Furthermore students out there were told this afternoon that officials did not know what they were going to do for scholarship but that they did know there was a curriculum. I ask members to listen to this: last year those officials said that scholarship was not very important. It is no wonder they have not got it right. It is no wonder the scholarship exam this year is still not going to be right. It is no wonder that I can guarantee almost without fear of any contradiction in this House or from the Minister of Education that those students sitting scholarship this year will sit an inferior examination. 
Why do we know that? Because the New Zealand Qualifications Authority is still for some unusual incomprehensible reason looking at standards-based assessment. It will not work. The authority was told by experienced principals by experienced teachers and by groups of teachers associations that it will not work but this year the authority is insisting that it will work. My guarantee to those students unfortunately is that it will not work and they are going to be disappointed again in 2005.