Tolley Anne: General Debate 
Tolley Anne: General Debate 
[Volume:646;Page:15280] 
ANNE TOLLEY (National—East Coast) 
: 
 After 8½ years of a Labour Government it is perhaps time to have a look at a few scorecards—as we have heard here in the House this afternoon. Let us have a look at the Government’s scorecard on education. After 8½ years of a Labour Government one in five kids leaves school unable to read or write or do maths at anywhere near their chronological age—one in five kids. That is 150000 children—New Zealand children—which is the equivalent number of children of the cities of Hamilton Christchurch and Wellington combined. That is an appalling record for any Government and it is totally unacceptable. 
What other mark would one give this Government but a “fail” mark? What did the Minister say about this when he was asked about the 20 percent tail of underachievement at a meeting on Saturday? 
Chris Auchinvole 
: What did he say? 
ANNE TOLLEY 
: I will tell members what he said. He talked about Schools Plus. Do members remember Schools Plus? That was the policy the Prime Minister announced at the beginning of the year. It was absolutely and universally canned because the Government was going to keep kids at school until they are 18. 
Chris Auchinvole 
: Now it’s a discussion paper. 
ANNE TOLLEY 
: Now the Government has reshaped it rejigged it and put it out as a discussion document. The Government has relaunched it. That is the Minister’s answer to those one in five kids. 
After 8½ years of a Labour Government two out of every three Maori children—only two out of every three—take part in early childhood education. Forty-six percent of Maori boys and 42 percent of Maori girls leave school without even the most basic qualification. This Labour Government is failing those Maori children. It is failing to provide them with an education that allows them to take a full part in this society. And what did the Minister say about this when he was asked at that meeting on Saturday? 
Chris Auchinvole 
: What did he say? 
ANNE TOLLEY 
: He talked about Schools Plus. He went on again about the policy to keep kids at school until they are 18 and about how that will fix it. But these kids do not want to be at school. They see no relevance for them at school. That has been proven time and time again yet this Government continues to not listen. So there is another score of “fail” for a whole section of our community. 
After 8½ years of a Labour Government more than 25000 young New Zealanders aged 15 to 19 are not in training education or work. The Labour Government set itself a goal of reducing that figure to zero. Well it has absolutely failed. There are 25000 young people out of training education and work. More than 13000 teenagers are getting a Government benefit. They are locked in to a life of poverty and dependence and this is at a time when employment is running at the highest levels. The latest household labour force survey shows us that 8400 16 and 17-year-old New Zealanders are not in education training or work. What chance have those kids— 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Have we got to your policy yet? 
ANNE TOLLEY 
: Actually National does have a policy for it. Our Youth Guarantee programme will get those children back into education training and/or work. We have a plan and I tell members that it is a much better plan than keeping them at school until they are 18. 
What did the Minister say when he was asked what the story was for those teenagers on benefits and those teenagers who are excluded from any form of training out in our communities? What was the Minister’s answer? 
Chris Auchinvole 
: What did he say? 
ANNE TOLLEY 
: He talked about Schools Plus again. The Government is really trying to sell that policy but it went down like a lead balloon. 
So what about the teachers after 8½ years of a Labour Government? What about the staff those thousands of teachers out there who work day after day and who are the most important people in the lives of our schools as they make the difference for hundreds of thousands of Kiwi kids? In the latest collective contract we now have a two-tier system. You see this Labour Government says that if teachers belong to a union then they deserve a better pay and conditions agreement than they do if they do not belong to a union. This Government has failed Kiwi kids and Kiwi teachers.