11. Education National Standards—Purpose and Support from TeachersCHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) to the Minister of EducationEducation National Standards—Purpose and Support from Teachers11. CHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) to the Minister of Education: Is she concerned that only 16 percent of teachers believe that national standards have had a positive impact on their students' achievement according to a survey released today; if not why not?Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education): Tēnā koe Mr Speaker. I am more concerned that the member does not understand what national standards are for. National standards are not intended to have a positive impact on students; teachers and teaching are expected to do that. National standards are a way of tracking progress and reporting it. My second concern is that 16 percent of the survey size of 349 amounts to 22 teachers. My third concern is that the member seems to do little work other than regurgitating NZEI press releases or New Zealand Herald reports.Chris Hipkins: Did she discuss that answer with Bill English who said in 2009 that the Government is unashamed of its priorities to teach all children to read write and do maths. That's why we're implementing a national standards policy."; if so why has the performance of New Zealand students in the international Programme for International Student Assessment studies declined in all of those areas since national standards were introduced?Mr SPEAKER: The Hon Hekia Parata—either of those two supplementary questions.Hon HEKIA PARATA: Actually if the member just looked again at the Rt Hon Bill English's answer it is—well I will put it the other way. My answer is completely aligned with what he has already said.Hon Annette King: No it's not.Chris Hipkins: No it's not.Hon HEKIA PARATA: It absolutely is. We want to raise literacy and numeracy amongst New Zealand students. National standards—much to the chagrin of the Opposition—is a system of tracking and reporting. But the raising of literacy and numeracy is about the teaching. So we are in complete agreement.Chris Hipkins: If it is about the quality of the teaching why is she ignoring feedback from teachers describing national standards as "soul-destroying" for students who make individual progress but remain below the so-called standard and that one principal said that they had "led to a deterioration in the educational deal our children are receiving"?Hon HEKIA PARATA: It is absolutely about the quality of teaching and this Government can stand on its record of putting practical effect to that quality of teaching. I can enumerate—just as my colleagues have previously in this question time—the number of investments this Government has made in the quality of teaching including the establishment of the Educational Council including the transformation of professional learning and development including the extra funding to recruit more scholarships including the investment in Teach First—Hon Trevor Mallard: And it's all getting worse.Hon HEKIA PARATA: It is not worse unlike that hopeless former Minister. It is actual—Hon Trevor Mallard: Our results went up when I was Minister; they're going down now.Hon HEKIA PARATA: Oh listen—shall we listen? So I am very—look at the puppets look at the puppets—happy to talk to our investment. But I want to come to the second part of the member's question which is that there is nothing in our policy that requires any teacher to tell any child that they are below the standard. What is required is to report that to the Ministry of Education so that we can target resources to those kids who need it most.Chris Hipkins: Is she now claiming that teachers do not need to report to parents when their children are below the national standards given that that was the whole point of their introduction in the first place?Hon HEKIA PARATA: I am not making any claims whatsoever; I am stating an expectation. I am saying that for system purposes we need to know the range of challenges amongst children so that we can target resources to them in the right amount at the right time. But I do not expect a teacher to take the position of telling a child that it is soul-destroying that they are well below standard. Quite the opposite—we have been encouraging teachers to tell them what their next step—Iain Lees-Galloway: Do you really think kids don't want to know what's in their school report?Hon HEKIA PARATA: Would you like to listen to my answer? Because—Mr SPEAKER: Order! [Interruption] Order! I have heard enough of the answer. If the member to my left wants a supplementary question he knows how to ask for one.Chris Hipkins: So is she claiming that the compulsory school report that every teacher in the country is now required by the Government to send to parents explaining whether their child is at above or below standard is not going to be seen by the child?Hon HEKIA PARATA: Again I am not claiming; I am telling the member and the House that as this policy has evolved I have made it clear to schools that we require at a system level to report to the Ministry of Education. We have evolved several forms of national standard reporting—Iain Lees-Galloway: I thought it was all about parents knowing. No clue.Hon HEKIA PARATA: It would be quite helpful if that member spoke to his colleague rather than to me if he needed clarification. We have—[Interruption] Oh pathetic—look we have asked for schools and teachers to make sure that the reports they make to parents are helpful in understanding where their child is what their next learning step is and what the school is doing about that. That is very clear I trust to the member and all his colleagues."