Coddington Deborah: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Coddington Deborah: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:613;Page:10028] 
12.  
DEBORAH CODDINGTON (ACT) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: Does he stand by his statement in today’s  
Dominion Post 
 that he would consider “governance-type arrangements” for Upper Hutt schools; if so why? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister of Education) 
: 
 Yes because I am a caring Minister who listens to submissions including those from my very good colleague the local member. This Minister has also initiated legislation to accommodate that sort of change. 
Deborah Coddington 
: What is the difference between schools in Upper Hutt and Pungarehu School in Opunake given that the Minister dismissed a proposal for shared governance from parents there; or are there different rules for parents from Labour electorates and parents from Opposition electorates? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: The submission I received from the very good local member who has been representing the people of Taihape is for a similar type of arrangement. That is also under consideration. 
Jill Pettis 
: Could the Minister outline what changes have been made under this Government to the use of savings generated by school network reviews? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Under this Government savings generated from network reviews are reinvested in the schools affected. The money is invested in extra teaching and learning resources improved information technology facilities additional sports and cultural resources—and Opunake people are very pleased with what is happening there—and enhanced transport assistance. This contrasts with the policy of the previous National Government which snatched any savings back into central government coffers. 
Simon Power 
: Will the Minister apply the same process to Upper Hutt schools that he did to Taieri schools about which David Benson-Pope as reported in the  
Taieri Herald 
 on 4 November commented: “I have a degree of sympathy for people’s feeling that their time was wasted. They went into the process with commitment and open-mindedness” followed by: “The Minister of Education Trevor Mallard tried to involve the community to a greater degree which backfired”; if so why? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I think I will follow some unusually sage advice given by Nick Smith which I quote: “The fundamental problem is that we have more schools than the number of pupils justify and nobody wants their school to close. Education is about children not buildings. Half-empty schools are in nobody’s best interest.” 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: What is the Minister’s reaction to inflammatory letters sent by a member of this House to each of the schools under review suggesting to communities that rather than engage in constructive debate about the rationalisation of resources for the future they should take militant action to retain the status quo? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: People have choices and that may be the choice that some people make. Responsible members of Parliament—and I think that includes Mr Simon Power in the Taihape review; certainly Mr Paul Swain in the Upper Hutt area and Mr Mark Peck in Invercargill—have worked with their communities. They have developed best options and presented them to me. That system works whereas Deborah Coddington’s contribution to the printing and publishing industry does not work at all. 
Metiria Turei 
: Does the Minister agree that the reviews in Upper Hutt South Canterbury and other places are contrary to the Government’s regional development policies—a view raised by the Greens in July this year and recently confirmed by the Minister for Economic Development; if so will the Minister now take a holistic economic view of the process which includes the cost to families and the environment of increased transport demands and the significant loss to regional economies of driving families away into towns to be closer to their schools? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I think the answers are no no and no. Can I explain that the strength of rural schools and schools in provincial towns is really important to me and I do not like to see them drifting to death as was the policy of the previous Government. 
Bernie Ogilvy 
: Will the Minister consider using some form or combination of a private-State or private-public partnership of school experts to support his governance-type arrangements; if not why not? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: Boards get massive amounts of extra resources as a result of this process and it is up to them to make choices about who they engage in that area. The member should talk to his colleague Murray Smith who was hissed and booed off the stage at Upper Hutt when he tried to make this issue political on Tuesday night. 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: Is it not the case that by yielding to the demands of the New Zealand Educational Institute for gilt-edged staffing ratios for small primary schools the Minister has priced them off the market thus forcing him in his finance role to shut many of those same schools down? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: No that is not the case. I am of the very firm view that the 3 half-days that teachers in sole-charge schools get for support so that they can do their jobs as principals and we can get some extra one-to-one help for kids in those very small schools is an excellent investment. There are some areas including Cattle Creek in the Hon Jim Sutton’s area where it is just absolutely vital to have those small schools. 
Simon Power 
: I seek leave to table the comments of David Benson-Pope in the  
Taieri Herald 
. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table those comments. Is there any objection? There is.