Dunne Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Dunne Peter: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:619;Page:14516] 
2.  
Hon PETER DUNNE (Leader—United Future) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: Does he stand by his comment in 2000 that he has “no doubt schools play a very important role in setting the values of young people and it is important that they do that in an informed way not by default.”; if so what concrete steps has he taken to ensure that all schools have implemented some form of character education programme? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS (Associate Minister of Education (Adult and Community Education)) 
 on behalf of the 
 Minister of Education 
: Yes I do stand by the comment of my colleague the Hon Trevor Mallard because I am pursuing the development of values education in the New Zealand Curriculum Project and expanding on the excellent work contained in the Suspension Reduction Initiative. 
Hon Peter Dunne 
: Does the Minister consider the fact that there has been a 31 percent increase in stand-downs and/or suspensions since the year 2000 to be a pressing reason for the introduction of the type of character education programmes she spoke of; if she does consider that to be a pressing reason when can we expect to see some progress? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: On the question of stand-downs and suspensions I think it is worthwhile to look at figures rather than percentages. I accept that there has been a percentage increase in suspensions—not necessarily exclusions or even stand-downs—in primary schools but there has been a reduction in secondary schools. When we look at those numbers we see that there have been eight suspensions for all New Zealand’s primary school population in 2003 for the consumption of alcohol. 
Lynne Pillay 
: What self-management and social skills are required to be taught under the National Administration Guidelines? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: The skills included under the social and cooperative skills in the  
New Zealand Curriculum Framework 
 are as follows: integrity perseverance courage self-esteem good relationships with others respect for others reliability trustworthiness fairness diligence and generosity—all of which we practise every day in this House and all of which will help a child to develop a good character. 
Hon Bill English 
: In the context of educating our young people in good behaviour what comment does she have on the fact that the Ministry of Youth Affairs’ guidelines for drug education programmes omit to state that schools should tell children that drugs are illegal and that drugs are bad for them? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: I cannot comment on the Ministry of Youth Affairs or its guidelines. I know as a former principal that I was quite clear that drugs were illegal and that they broke the law of the school. 
Jim Peters 
: Can the Minister confirm that the national curriculum 
framework requires schools to develop appropriate attitudes and values for their students; that that is reviewable by the Education Review Office; and that many schools such as the Onerahi School in Whangarei develop their own values programme for the whole benefit of their students? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: I would really like to support what has been said by my colleague across the floor of the House in that values education is something that was accepted last year in a 2-day workshop with educators and researchers from around the country as something that is taught holistically in the school and they are working very hard and following up work in the New Zealand school curriculum project on enhancing how it can be better taught and supported in our schools. 
Tariana Turia 
: As there are diverse cultural populations represented in our educational institutions how do schools ensure that the cultural values of those young people are nurtured and protected and that they are not overrepresented in suspensions stand-downs and expulsions? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: There are two comments I would like to make. First of all I think that amongst all of the peoples of this country kindness and love for one another is shared regardless of race or culture—there are some basic values shared by all of us. Number two under the Suspension Reduction Initiative we have worked very hard and been successful in reducing the number of Maori students who have been suspended. 
Hon Peter Dunne 
: Since the national curriculum framework has provided for character or values education since 1993 why has it taken the Minister so long to implement a programme along the lines that she has spoken of this afternoon? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: As a former principal when I was faced in 1993 with—[ 
Interruption 
] If members will let me finish the question I will explain how ministerials Ministers— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister is entitled to give her answer in the way that she wishes. She is not out of order. I do not think she is even trying to be controversial in this area. 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: As a former principal following ministerial guidelines set down in 1993 under the framework and under the National Administration Guidelines for which we were responsible we did carry out and we do carry out today values education. What is different is that since 2002 under the curriculum stocktake we have reviewed how values education is carried out in schools. I mentioned the hui and I mentioned the research programmes and the teacher development programmes that have been funded and carried on since then. 
Hon Peter Dunne 
: Would it not be better to stop attempting to reinvent the wheel through the sorts of initiatives the Minister has announced and simply support existing character education programmes such as Kiwi Can and others that are operating in schools now and that are being evaluated favourably and reacted to positively by the communities they serve? 
Hon MARIAN HOBBS 
: We do support Kiwi Can. 
Jim Peters 
: I seek leave to table the Onerahi School values programme currently in use in Whangarei. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.