Hipkins Chris: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHipkins Chris: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 31 May 2016. Volume:714;Page:11471. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]10.CHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) to the Minister of Education: When she accepted some responsibility for Hon Bill English’s statement that a lot of Kiwis are “pretty damned hopeless” and “can’t read and write properly” was she referring to the findings of a survey that just 14 percent of secondary principals thought their school’s government funding was sufficient?Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education):Tēnā koe. No but it might mean that the member cannot read properly. I was last asked about Bill English’s statement in the House on 5 May. The New Zealand Council for Educational Research survey that the member refers to was published 2 weeks later on 19 May so unless I owned a time machine it would have been impossible for me to have been referring to that. It is naive to think that principals would not always argue for more funding just as I always argue for more funding for Vote Education.Chris Hipkins: Why did she freeze school operations funding in Budget 2016 when 46 percent of secondary school principals say that a lack of funding is forcing them to cut field trips the number of subjects their school offers and funding for curriculum resources—and that was before the freeze was even announced?Hon HEKIA PARATA: I have not frozen any funding whatsoever. What I have done instead of providing for a universal grant is target that funding for those kids most at risk of not achieving and in fact respond to this commentator’s quote that “The modern education system needs to address poverty and the enormous effect it has on student achievement improve targeted support to those students who need extra help either because they are struggling or due to special needs”. The quote is from Chris Hipkins in December 2015.Chris Hipkins: What specific poverty criteria will be used to allocate the additional funding?Hon HEKIA PARATA: Specifically those young people who have been identified as coming from long-term benefit-dependent households.Chris Hipkins: If school funding is sufficient why is demand from schools for parents to fork out for donations rising at 10 times the rate of inflation?Hon Dr Nick Smith: Because inflation’s so low.Hon HEKIA PARATA: Well as the Minister says because inflation is so low. The donations by definition—helping again with literacy on that side of the House—are voluntary. Funding for schools is provided for the delivery of the curriculum and this Government has increased Vote Education every year that it has been in Government. The decision about what donations are asked for is between the board which comprises mainly of parents and grandparents and the school. That is not something I have or wish to have control over.Tracey Martin: Can the Minister tell us whether any work is being done on the revaluation of the delivery of the New Zealand curriculum considering the new technical advances that now have to be delivered inside that curriculum?Hon HEKIA PARATA: I am not entirely sure I have understood what the question actually is.Mr SPEAKER: Would it help if I asked the member to repeat the question?Hon HEKIA PARATA: To repeat it? That would be helpful.Tracey Martin: Is the Minister or the ministry doing any work around the revaluation of the New Zealand curriculum considering that new technical advances mean that subjects such as art must be delivered in a much more expensive manner when considering the investment into current New Zealand education?Hon HEKIA PARATA: Again in so far as I can answer the question—because I do not know where the assertion comes from; that delivering the art curriculum is more expensive—what we are focusing on—[Interruption] Perhaps the member would like to hear my answer. What we are focusing on is growing the quality of the curriculum and we are seeing the result of that because we are seeing lifts in achievement because we have transparent data every year.Chris Hipkins: If school operations funding is sufficient why has—[Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! Can the member please start the question again.Chris Hipkins: If school operations funding is sufficient why has the amount of funding contributed to schools by parents through donations increased by over 30 percent during the National Government’s tenure in office?Hon HEKIA PARATA: Based on the actual returns by schools donations by parents have remained at a steady 1.8 percent.