Mahuta Nanaia: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Mahuta Nanaia: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Sitting date: 29 May 2012. Volume:680;Page:2575. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
8. 
Hon NANAIA MAHUTA (Labour—Hauraki-Waikato) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: What is the estimated reduction in teaching positions at intermediate and middle schools in each of the next 4 years as a result of the new teacher to student funding ratios in Budget 2012? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education) 
: 
 Talofa lava Mr Speaker. Kia ora tatou. The Government funds full-time teacher equivalents not positions—that is a matter for each board. What we have always said is that about 90 percent of schools will have a net loss or gain of up to one full-time teacher equivalent. We have examined the effect on the other 10 percent of schools and some would be affected more than we are prepared to accept. Schools will therefore be given a guarantee that their staffing entitlement will not be reduced by more than two full-time teacher equivalents over the next 3 years as a result of the policy changes.  
Hon Nanaia Mahuta 
: Given her recent announcement at 1.41 p.m. today that “no school will lose more than two full-time teachers … as a result of the policy changes in Budget 2012.” the Minister must know the budgetary impact of this about-face so what is it?  
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: As the Prime Minister has already indicated the Secretary for Education wrote on Budget day to every school to advise it whether it was in the 90 percent or the 10 percent. In that letter the schools were advised that the transition— 
Hon Nanaia Mahuta 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The question was very specific. I asked what the budgetary impact of the recent announcement this afternoon was and she has not answered that question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: That is correct. That is what the member asked. I ask the Minister to come to the question. 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: Yes Mr Speaker. We have a contingency for transition and it will support the provision of two full-time equivalents. 
Hon Nanaia Mahuta 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. The question was very specific it was asking for a specific value and the Minister has failed yet again to answer that question. What is the budget? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! Before I call the Minister I want to ensure the terminology is understood. The member has asked what the budgetary effect is. That may or may not elicit exactly the answer the member wants but it is up to the Minister to answer as she sees fit. 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: I do not have the exact figure to hand. 
Scott Simpson 
: What support has she offered the most affected schools? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: Schools have been given a guarantee that their staffing entitlements will not be reduced by more than two full-time teacher equivalents over the next 3 years as a result of the policy changes. 
Dr Megan Woods 
: Given that schools could still lose up to two full-time positions can she give an assurance to Branston Intermediate School and Christchurch South Intermediate School that they will not lose their dedicated science and technology teachers as a result of her new ad hoc plan; and if not is she concerned that this breaks John Key’s promise that National is committed to working with industry to make it easier for schools to find pay and employ people to take their trade and technology classes? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: We will continue to work with the Christchurch schools as we have done on a case by case basis every since the impact of the earthquakes. 
Dr Megan Woods 
: I seek leave to table three documents. The first is a letter from Christchurch South Intermediate School to parents saying that the staffing cuts are a big mistake and setting out what the impact of these cuts on that school will be. The second document is an email from Branston Intermediate School to me setting out the effect on its ability to deliver quality technology and specialist programmes within the school. The third is a transcript of a speech from John Key to the— 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! If the House is to make sensible decisions let us deal first with the letter from the school. Is there any objection to that letter being tabled? There is none. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The second is the email from a school to the member. Is there any objection to that document being tabled? There is none. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: And the third? 
Dr Megan Woods 
: The third document is a transcript of a speech from John Key in 2007 to the Employers and Manufacturers Association (Northern). 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table that document. Is there any objection? There is objection. [ 
Interruption 
] Order! I say to the Labour front bench that it appears they have a backbench colleague seeking the call. 
Louisa Wall 
: Talofa lava Mr Speaker. Tena tatou. Can she explain to the parents of years 7 and 8 students from Greenmeadows Intermediate School Manurewa Intermediate School and Weymouth Intermediate School why she is making it harder for their deciles 1 and 3 schools to support their learning and achievement as her policy means those students will lose on average two teachers per school—and I note that before 1.41 p.m. it was on average six teachers per school—plus some targeted programmes that Iain Taylor the Principal of Manurewa Intermediate School says motivate and keep particularly Maori and Pacific students engaged in education? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: It is exactly because we are interested in raising the quality of teaching practice in order to raise student achievement that we are making a trade-off of having one or two extra students in a classroom in order that we can have raised achievement. 
Iain Lees-Galloway 
: How is it fair for small intermediate schools to lose the same number of teachers as large intermediate schools which is what her new ad hoc plan that she made up on the way to the House will implement? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: We wrote on Budget day to all schools telling them that a transition plan would be put into place and that we would work with each of them. In the interests of providing certainty now we have provided the guarantee that no school will lose more than two full-time teacher equivalents and 90 percent will not lose any more than one full-time teacher equivalent. This is good news. [ 
Interruption 
]  
Mr SPEAKER 
: Order! Forgive me I did not hear that but I need to be able to hear this next supplementary question.  
Hon Nanaia Mahuta 
: Given that response how will schools be given a guarantee that their individual staffing entitlements will not be reduced by more than two full-time teacher equivalents over 3 years—which may equate to six people—and that no further cap on roll growth will occur? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: We have announced to schools that they have a protection guarantee that they will not lose more than two full-time teacher equivalents. The way it is done every year I say to that member is that in September provisional rolls are set with schools and their full-time teacher equivalents are allocated on that basis.