Parata Hekia: Financial Review Debate — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Parata Hekia: Financial Review Debate — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 01 May 2012. Volume:679;Page:1800. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education) 
: 
 Kia ora tatou tena tatou te Whare e whakawhaiti nei i tenei ahiahi. First of all I would like to acknowledge my predecessor the Hon Anne Tolley for her clear focus and tenacity over the last 3 years and also in particular over the year in review. She led a number of changes that we now need to progress and embed in the system and of course those include not only national standards at the primary school level but also trades training academies and a number of other initiatives that have been referred to. 
I also want to acknowledge the former Secretary for Education Karen Sewell who during this period retired from a very long and distinguished service of contribution to the education sector not only as a teacher and principal but also distinguishing herself having been the head of every sector agency: the Education Review Office the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and the Ministry of Education. So I would like to thank her. 
I want to acknowledge our colleague the former chair of the Education and Science Committee Allan Peachey and his passing and I want to thank him at this time for the contribution he made. In so doing I would like to welcome the new Secretary for Education Lesley Longstone who joins us with a considerable and significantly successful career from the United Kingdom and other parts of the world. She brings to New Zealand that experience from which we can benefit. One of the particular points that she made during the select committee review of education was that with a fresh eye she has observed that although many significant changes and valuable contributions have been made as a result of the education reform that we all know as Tomorrow’s Schools one of the changes that she wishes to effect and which I completely agree with her on is that the ministry needs to be repositioned away from administering the system and into one of leadership—one of leadership that focuses on the best evidence that tells us what it is we should be doing in order to raise achievement in New Zealand. 
I would like to acknowledge the work of our new chair of the select committee Nikki Kaye who has already contributed to this debate and who brings a fresh and ebullient approach to the education arena and to her role as chair. She has already focused on as she indicated in her speech digital learning and learning environments for the 21st century. We have as a vision in education that we shall equip our young people to be able to successfully navigate society and the economy of the 21st century. Implicit in that and important to that is that they are able to use all of the social media tools that are available to us. Nikki’s stewardship of the select committee will I am sure be able to guide us successfully through those new and foreign waters for some but of course they are ones that I share confidence in with her. 
We have an education system that is able to deliver a world-class education to the vast majority of our students. That is a great credit to them to their families and to the education profession which delivers that year on year. Last week I had the great pleasure to share with the Governor-General the Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae at Government House the celebration of our top scholars. These young people from across New Zealand and from schools across all deciles have topped the academic excellence in our schools. I want to make particular mention of the fact that— 
Andrew Little 
: How many were from charter schools? 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: Well if that member kept up he would know we have not yet introduced charter schools so that would be a little impossible to be able to yet celebrate. We look forward to that but if we could instead focus on the significant numbers of Christchurch students who were top scholars. Despite all the challenges that they were beset with over the last 12 to 18 months their level and quality of education and their own aptitude and application were reflected in their success at the highest level and I want to yet again congratulate them.  
Andrew Little 
: Which just goes to show you don’t need charter schools. 
Hon HEKIA PARATA 
: However we also have challenges in our system if the member cared to listen for a cohort of students who are underserved by the system. Too many of those are Maori and Pasifika come from low socio-economic homes and/or have special education needs. We are particularly focused using the work of the past year and the successes of the past year on how we can raise achievement for all New Zealand students and that will be done by the thing that we know best which is quality teaching and professional leadership. Thank you. 
Report noted.