Fox Marama: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeFox Marama: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 20 August 2015. Volume:707;Page:6017. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]1.MARAMA FOX (Co-Leader—Māori Party) to the Minister of Education: Does the Minister agree that Māori boarding schools such as Turakina have produced a considerable number of Māori leaders; and if so what is she doing to ensure the long-term sustainability of Māori boarding schools?Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education):Tēnā koe Mr Speaker. Yes I do indeed agree that Māori boarding schools have made a mighty contribution not only to their own communities but to our country not only in terms of leadership but in terms of fine artists musicians performers professionals mums and dads. Presently there are six Māori boarding schools with combined rolls of 622 students. They are all State-integrated schools. That means that the Government funds the teaching and day-to-day schooling and it licenses but does not fund the boarding facilities. The proprietors of the school are responsible for the facilities including all classrooms and hostels. Over and above operational funding and staffing entitlements the Government has provided since 2014 the Puāwaitanga scheme which funds 90 students at $16500 each per year a total of $1.2 million across Māori boarding schools. In addition to that the Government funds another 219 students at Māori boarding schools from its boarding allowances at a cost of $1.64 million this year. These boarding allowances were put into place last year.Marama Fox: What if anything is being done to explore alternative models to address the issue of dwindling rolls in Māori boarding schools so that they can be sustained?Hon HEKIA PARATA: Over the last 25 years rolls at Māori boarding schools have collectively fallen by more than 50 percent. The first challenge to this model of a boarding school came in the 1970s when these schools were integrated into the State system under the Private Schools Conditional Integration Act 1975. Māori boarding schools like other boarding schools now face challenges that did not even exist a generation or two ago. Parents now have more education choices available and many of these options are now available closer to home than the Māori boarding schools.Marama Fox: Will the Minister work with the alumni of Māori boarding schools and other interested parties to explore options for ensuring the ongoing role of Māori boarding schools in Māori education?Hon HEKIA PARATA: In fact the ministry has been working together with each of these schools for some time. I would encourage the alumni of Māori boarding schools to work with their proprietors and boards of trustees to ensure the ongoing role of these schools. To assist interested parties I seek leave to table the education report Next Steps for Turakina Māori Girls College a copy of which was given to the board of Turakina Māori Girls College was prepared by the Ministry of Education in 2015 but has not yet been publicly available and sets out reasons for initiating—Mr SPEAKER: Order! I will put the leave. Leave is sought to table that particular document. Is there any objection? There is objection.Chris Hipkins: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. During her answers the Minister appeared to be quoting from what appears to be a bound published official document. I request that she table—Mr SPEAKER: Order! This is very easily resolved. Was the Minister quoting from an official document?Hon HEKIA PARATA: No.