Yates Dianne: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
Yates Dianne: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers Questions to Members 
[Volume:634;Page:5330] 
2.  
DIANNE YATES (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: What reports if any has he received on efforts to ensure students can learn the skills they need to become active participants in New Zealand’s democracy? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY (Minister of Education) 
: 
 The new draft curriculum identifies the competencies and values that enable young New Zealanders to live together in a diverse and democratic society. This includes children understanding the value of integrity and how to act ethically. In addition the social studies curriculum gives children the opportunity to learn how the systems of government work and reflect different types of decision making. 
Dianne Yates 
: What other reports has he seen about opportunities for students to participate in learning about democracy in New Zealand? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I have seen a  
Sunday Star-Times  
report of a school student push polling on behalf of the National Party. The report tells of a Hamilton woman receiving a call from a teenager who purported to be conducting a political phone poll. The young person admitted he was encouraged to ridicule people when they did not respond in the appropriate way. It turned out that the teenager attended a local Exclusive Brethren school and the poll was a “homework assignment” for his class. That is hardly an example of teaching young people how to act ethically. 
Gerry Brownlee 
: I raise a point of order Madam Speaker. It is a very interesting answer from the Minister. Many of us read the  
Sunday Star-Times  
article and I would ask him to table his evidence that verifies the names of the individuals who are party to that story. Otherwise of course we are left believing that it is just a piece of fiction. 
Madam SPEAKER 
: No that is not a point of order. 
Hon Bill English 
: Given that the Minister has referred to the new draft curriculum can he explain to the House now that he has a new draft curriculum how he will tell whether it works for individual children in lifting their learning? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: Of course the core of any education system is how we teach what we teach and how we assess. So three major strands of work are around the process of training teachers of developing a new curriculum and of new assessment tools at the primary school level and the National Certificate of Educational Achievement at the secondary school level. 
Metiria Turei 
: Does the Minister agree with the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization that quality education must include “values and civic education especially for human rights and democracy peace and universally shared values such as citizenship tolerance non-violence and dialogue among cultures and civilisations”; if so will he reconsider the draft curriculum’s complete failure to mention Te Tiriti o Waitangi—this nation’s founding document—and consider making the study of civics an integral and compulsory part of our curriculum? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: There are a lot of questions in there and I guess at the headline level I would agree with the earlier statements in relation to the Treaty that have been canvassed here. There is a consultation process going on. As I have said to the member there is an opportunity for her to make a submission around the Treaty issues. The issues of civics of course are covered throughout the history and social studies parts of the curriculum. Of course schools these days with this style of curriculum have the ability to make use of those areas of learning through a whole range of curriculum areas. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: Tena koe Madam Speaker tena tatou katoa. How can students respect and understand Te Tiriti o Waitangi as a basis of our modern democracy if it is not discussed as a key feature of the school curriculum? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: They cannot. 
Dr Pita Sharples 
: Would the Minister agree that removing maths from the school curriculum will lead to students becoming proficient in maths; if not why does he think that removing the Treaty of Waitangi from the school curriculum will lead to a greater understanding by students of the nature of our democracy? 
Hon STEVE MAHAREY 
: I would agree with the first part of the question. As to the second part it has not been removed. I would also remind the member of four things: one it is in the Act; two it is in the goals; three it is in the guidelines to schools; and four it will be embodied in a Maori version of the curriculum next year.