2. Education Ministry—Schools Funding Education Support Workers Consultant Spending Annual Report Performance Measures and Special Education SupportCHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) to the Minister of EducationEducation Ministry—Schools Funding Education Support Workers Consultant Spending Annual Report Performance Measures and Special Education Support2. CHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) to the Minister of Education: Is she confident that schools are getting all the support they need to help every child succeed?Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education): I am confident that schools have received more in support under this National Government to help their children succeed than under any other Government.Chris Hipkins: Why did she allow the number of full-time equivalent education support workers employed by the ministry who work with the youngest and most vulnerable to be halved from 275 in 2008 to just 134 in 2015 according to the answer that she has supplied—her own numbers—through written questions?Hon HEKIA PARATA: Then they will be factual. What I can answer is that I do not make operational decisions—Hon Members: Oh!Hon HEKIA PARATA: I guess it is a surprise to the Opposition but that is how the Government works. The chief executive of the department makes that decision and I trust that those decisions have been made in the context of delivering better outcomes. That is actually what we are seeing.Chris Hipkins: Which does she believe does more to support students with the highest needs in our schools and early childhood centres: halving the number of education support workers who work directly with children or the 700 percent increase in the Ministry of Education's use of consultants during her watch taking the consultant spend from $4 million under Labour to $35 million under National?Hon HEKIA PARATA: It is not a matter of what I believe; it is a matter of what we know and what we know is that there is more funding going into every part of the New Zealand education system under this Government than there ever has been. We are also dealing—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! There is little point in continuing with the answer if the Opposition does not want to hear it.Chris Hipkins: Was the fact that the number of students receiving special education communication services behaviour services or ORS-funded services within 90 days of referral are all declining the reason that the performance measure was removed from the Ministry of Education's annual report altogether?Hon HEKIA PARATA: No. At the risk of iterating yet again the facts Vote Education has gone up by 35 percent. Funding for special education or learning support has gone up by 29 percent. Participation by young people with all kinds of needs has increased significantly. The way that young people are getting support in terms of education has changed from when the member is referring to and it changes all the time.Dr David Clark: Now for the question.Hon HEKIA PARATA: And I am answering the question. We are seeing more young people participating. We are seeing them getting a better education. We are seeing them leave with more qualifications. We are seeing them go on to more tertiary options and these are signs of success. Are there challenges within the portfolio in terms of kids with particularly high and complex needs? Yes there are and everyone in the system is working hard to meet those.Chris Hipkins: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That was a very long answer but the question that I asked—Mr SPEAKER: Order! You do not need to repeat the question for me because I am going to invite you to repeat the question to the House.Chris Hipkins: Thank you Mr Speaker. Was the fact that the number of students receiving special education communication services behaviour services or ORS-funded services within 90 days of referral are all declining the reason that the performance measure was removed from the Ministry of Education's annual report altogether?Hon HEKIA PARATA: No.Chris Hipkins: Did she say in her Budget bid last year there is increasing demand for additional learning support. In most cases these are capped appropriations and we can ration provision …"; if so is that rationing the reason why so many schools are saying that under this Government they are considering suspending or expelling students with behavioural or other learning support needs because they do not have the resources to support them?Mr SPEAKER: There were two supplementary questions there. The Minister can address one or either or both.Hon HEKIA PARATA: I am going to address both thank you Mr Speaker. The answer to the first one is yes and the answer to the second one is no. We work with every school across the country to address their particular needs and I think it is inappropriate to simply be recommending as one principal in the media is that schools start suspending students. There is a natural justice process in the event of particular violent acts and those should be followed by every school.Chris Hipkins: If she does not want schools to suspend or expel students why is the level of special education support provided to students who have been suspended or expelled so much significantly higher than those students who remain in a school?Hon HEKIA PARATA: I think the member is conflating two things. There are students who are suspended for particular reasons and they have all gone through a natural justice process and then they go into alternative education and then they get particular support.Chris Hipkins: No they go to another school.Hon HEKIA PARATA: But I am answering the first part of your question which relates to a particular principal recommending that schools simply start suspending students and the answer there is that would be irresponsible and they must follow the process."