Jones Dail: Debate on Crown Entities Public Organisations and State Enterprises — In Committee 
Jones Dail: Debate on Crown Entities Public Organisations and State Enterprises — In Committee 
[Volume:647;Page:15969] 
DAIL JONES (NZ First) 
: 
 Speaking to the financial review of the New Zealand Teachers Council I take the initial point made by Paula Bennett of the National Party about the quotation in the report back which New Zealand First supports: “Some of us are dissatisfied with the quality of the responses by the New Zealand Teachers Council and consider that they were evasive in their responses.” I have never heard a more surprising answer and a more evasive response than the answer to the question asked by Allan Peachey for the National Party. I made a note of what he asked the officials. He asked to whom they were responsible and we could not seem to get a reply. It was quite extraordinary. There was a sort of dumbfounded silence as if to say: “How dare you ask that question.”; “How dare you as members of Parliament ask us—officials bureaucrats—to whom we are responsible.” I made a special note of that and I was most concerned at their attitude. 
I was also concerned initially that staffing levels at the New Zealand Teachers Council had increased from 17 staff to 40 fulltime-equivalents but to be fair the council is virtually self-funded as I understand it. So it must be employing staff in response to the requests that are being made for registration. We cannot be too critical of the council for having a bigger staff if we require the council to have a quick turn-round rate in so far as registering teachers is concerned. Looking at the council’s responses in its report I see that it has registered 10537 new teachers approved 16769 renewals processed 20000-odd police vetting applications and—I especially note this next point—consulted with the profession on the amendment of key policies: “good character and fit to be a teacher; limited authority to teach; and language proficiency.” I have been concerned about the need to improve the quality of the teaching profession to get new people into the profession and to encourage people to come in and be part of what is one of the most important sectors of our community—the teaching profession. 
There has been a report issued about becoming a teacher in the 21st century that proposes that the New Zealand Teachers Council and key stakeholders in the sector work together to determine the process for assuring the quality of graduates and those teachers admitted to the profession through provisional registration. It also proposes that employers’ and other stakeholders’ needs are reflected in these processes. There was some criticism in that report about concerns being expressed that many newly qualified primary and secondary school teachers lack knowledge about the curriculum pedagogical content up-to-date assessment and evaluation methodology and management or guidance skills. It states that initial teacher education providers “are in a difficult position because there has been no explicit statement of what newly qualified teachers are expected to know and to be able to do.” So in considering that and looking at the answer that came through on “proposition 4” there seemed to be support for that proposal—there were 37 in favour and only two opposed to the proposal. In considering that question the first thing that the stakeholders will need to do is address the notion of quality. There seems to be some concern about that and I heard Mr Peachey being slightly critical of Paula Bennett about the quality of teachers and suchlike. I quote again from the report: “The role of the Teachers Council and its relationship with providers was mentioned by a number of submitters. The Teachers Council was seen by some to be under-resourced”—which seems rather strange—”not representative or responsive to providers or not accountable enough. Some submitters agreed that there needed to be more robust ‘entry to profession’ standards at full registration.” 
There was also a “proposition 7” and I should make the point that the people who responded to it said that there needed to be more research into teachers’ status better sharing of information and findings between sectors and increasing pay. The issue of pay is always a problem for the profession at all levels and our teachers go overseas because on the face of it they can get paid better. I repeat the view that perhaps those with student loans should be allowed to work off their loans over 3 years or so to keep those people in New Zealand.