Stanford Erica; Hipkins ChrisERICA STANFORD (National—East Coast Bays): Thank you Madam Chair. I wanted to have a chat with the Minister in the Chair the Hon Chris Hipkins today about the effect of COVID-19 on the revenue that schools get from international students. It's of a particular interest to me and my electorate of East Coast Bays but it will be very relevant to many schools across New Zealand—and certainly in the Auckland region—because of the amount of revenue that they get from those international students. Now I understand that we didn't actually get a chance in the Education and Workforce Committee to grill the Minister on this because there were so many other topics to talk about but I wanted to bring it to his attention and we ran out of time so I'll take that opportunity now.Just for example one of the secondary schools in my electorate a third of their revenue is international students. So you can only imagine their concern at the loss of revenue from this year but also looking forward to next year given that there really isn't any certainty. Not that that's the Government's fault but there is no certainty around when they will be able to get these students back. So there is a great deal of frustration and anxiety certainly from schools in my electorate—and I know across Auckland—who are worried about this.Now I know that there was an announcement made yesterday and I want to talk to the Minister about that particular announcement because as far as I understand from that announcement there is a $20 million fund that's been ring-fenced. So I want to—just for the Minister to enlighten us a little bit more on how far he thinks that will go what percentage of the loss and revenue that he thinks that that will cover because I'm just looking at my electorate and I reckon you could almost sink $20 million into—take the North Shore. You could probably sink $20 million into the North Shore and that would maybe just cover the revenue that we get from international students.Dan Bidois: Easily.ERICA STANFORD: Easily yeah. I mean I know one of my one of my big schools is $3 million alone. So when we're looking at $20 million it doesn't—from my perspective—seem to be that much so I'm keen to get an idea from the Minister on what percentage of the total revenue gained from international students that will cover.Also if he could just explain to us—because I'm not sure how each school will be worked out on how much income they will get or revenue they'll get from this $20 million—what the calculation will be. Has that already been set? Do the schools already know what amount of money they will get from that $20 million what sort of certainty they will get when they will get that information? Because I know that they're looking ahead to next year and they're very very concerned.I also want to know what does that cover? What period does that $20 million cover? Is that for this year or is that to cover next year's loss of income as well? If the Minister could provide some information around that. I just want to reiterate the anxiety and the concern that schools—certainly in my electorate—have relayed to me about the lack of certainty and lack of revenue streams certainly for next year around these international students. Thank you.Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education): If I could just say to reiterate one of the key messages of this Government and actually of the previous Government because I had this discussion with the previous Minister when I was sitting about where the member is now actually. The Government's position is that we fund our schools sufficiently to deliver the curriculum to New Zealand students. Some schools do raise additional revenue as a form of fund-raising through having international students. It is not the position of the Government that we should have to replace the revenue that they have lost as a result of having fewer international students.But we do recognise though that some schools have got fixed costs around international students. I mean there's a transition required there. If you suddenly turn the tap off in terms of international students coming in schools will still have costs that they need to incur as they manage a transition to having fewer international students. So the $20 million fund that I announced yesterday is a small percentage of the overall revenue that schools would generate from international students. It's not designed to replace the revenue that's been lost as a result of COVID-19. It is designed to help the sector adjust to the new reality that they live within. For how long? We don't know at this point. In terms of the formula that that funding will be allocated on it will be allocated based on a formula around the real revenue reduction that schools have experienced as a result of fewer international students being in school or as a result of international students leaving the country and going back to their home countries as a result of COVID-19. That exact formula is currently being worked through with representatives of schools to make sure that the formula is right. So the exact formula has not been finalised but the broad approach to it has been finalised and that's currently being consulted on with the sector.