Mahuta Nanaia: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Mahuta Nanaia: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 18 October 2012. Volume:684;Page:5970. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
1. 
Hon NANAIA MAHUTA (Labour—Hauraki-Waikato) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: Is it still her strategy in education to “focus on teaching and learning quality” and “transparent accountabilities”? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Deputy Leader of the House)  
on behalf of the Minister of Education: As set out in the statement of intent yes along with reliable and meaningful information for teachers and parents and investing in 21st century learning environments. 
Hon Nanaia Mahuta 
: Will the policies and procedures for how charter schools are run managed and deliver educational benefits to students be open to public scrutiny and accountability or will these terms and conditions be hidden away in sponsor contracts? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: Our partnership schools will be held accountable. 
Grant Robertson 
: But not through the OIA. 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: They will be held to account by a fixed-term contract that specifies the educational outcomes that they have to meet and will also provide emergency powers for the Secretary for Education to take over the school where students’ educational or physical welfare is at risk. The Education Review Office will conduct regular reviews based on the sponsor’s contract and all partnership schools with students in years 1 to 8 will be required to report on progress and achievement against national standards. 
Hon Nanaia Mahuta 
: What criteria will be used to determine the funding and staffing level provisions for charter schools? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: Each school’s contract will differ according to the needs of the sponsor but in fact the partnership schools will negotiate with the Crown for a proportion of the staff not to be registered as a teacher—but that does not mean that they will be unqualified. 
Hon Nanaia Mahuta 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. My question was very specific. It asked for the criteria that will determine the funding and staffing level provision for charter schools. She did not attempt to outline the criteria. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I believe the Minister said they would be in the contract and would differ for each school. 
Hon Nanaia Mahuta 
: Is it her intention to standardise non-registration of teachers in both charter and public schools; if not why does she believe that public schools should have fully qualified teachers but charter schools should not? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: Once again the member is confusing unregistered with unqualified. Partnership schools will negotiate with the Crown for a proportion of the staff not to be registered as a teacher and this does not mean that they are unqualified. In public schools there are early childhood educators volunteers teachers under the limited authority to teach category tertiary educators trade course teachers and staff at private training establishments who are teaching at schools now but are not registered with the Teachers Council. 
Hon Nanaia Mahuta 
: In light of that answer does the Minister believe that a prerequisite for registration is teacher qualification? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: It is irrelevant what the Minister believes. The Teachers Council actually requires a registration.