6. Question No. 6—EducationHon NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) to the Minister of EducationQuestion No. 6—EducationHon NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central): Question to the Minister of Education: does he stand by his decisions to close 11 partnership schools remove national standards scrap the Aspire Scholarship—SPEAKER: Order! I think the member should maybe read off the yellow sheet.Hon NIKKI KAYE: Oh sorry.6. Hon NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) to the Minister of Education: Does he stand by all of his decisions this year?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education): I suspect I know what the supplementary is going to be. Yes particularly my decisions to abolish national standards; employ more teachers; increase support for kids with special needs; upgrade school classrooms; introduce a year of free tertiary study; phase out charter schools; open new kura; develop and release the early childhood strategic plan; increase financial support for tertiary students; fully fund teacher refresher training; rebuild several schools including Onehunga High School Wainuiōmata High School and Mana College; employ learning support coordinators; increase support for deaf and hard of hearing students; provide early childhood services with the first across-the-board funding increase they've seen in a decade; bail out four failing polytechnics—SPEAKER: OK. I think the question has been answered.Hon Nikki Kaye: Does he stand by his ideological decisions to close 11 partnership schools remove national standards and scrap the Aspire Scholarship scheme and how many Māori and Pasifika students have been disadvantaged as a result of those decisions?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: In answer to the last part of the question none. In answer to the first part of the question the member clearly wasn't listening to my first answer.Hon Nikki Kaye: Does he stand by his decision to have more than 17 reviews in education at a cost of around $10 million and next year will he promise to have a little less costly conversations and a little more action?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I absolutely reject the $10 million figure that the member has just quoted. I do stand by the decision to review issues in education on a comprehensive basis rather than on a piecemeal basis. It partly reflects the challenges we inherited but actually more importantly it reflects the fact that 30-odd years on from the last comprehensive reform of our education system given the changes in this economy and in society it is time to make sure our education system is delivering what New Zealanders need to be prosperous and successful in the future.Hon Nikki Kaye: Does he stand by his decision to not deliver on promises such as the $190 million for school leavers; modernising every school building in the country which wasn't costed; or ending school donations and when will he deliver on these broken promises?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I utterly reject the notion that we're not delivering on those promises. Some of those promises have already been delivered on and some of those are still a work in progress.Hon Nikki Kaye: Does he stand by his decision to tell teachers there is no more money despite billions in surplus and will teachers get a Christmas present of a new offer to prevent the multiple additional strikes looming next year?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The Christmas present teachers get is a Government that actually respects them as opposed to the 10 years of neglect that they received under the last National Government. The offer to teachers is worth $1.2 billion. That is a sign that this Government values our teachers and we are willing to put the taxpayers' money where our mouth is and ensure that our teachers are paid much much better than they were under the previous National Government.Hon Nikki Kaye: Does he stand by his excellent decisions to back my second-language bill and Nicola Willis' campaign to Stick with Vic" and can I take the opportunity to wish the member a very merry Christmas and a relaxing break with his baby girl?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Thank you to the member. I absolutely do stand by both of those decisions although I am advised that the second of those decisions may come back to be reconsidered in the new year. I look forward to the support of the members opposite as we go through that process."