Hughes Darren: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Hughes Darren: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:670;Page:16732] 
12. 
Hon DARREN HUGHES (Labour) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: Does she believe NCEA is a world-class qualification system for young New Zealanders; if so why? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister of Education) 
: 
 I take this opportunity to congratulate the member—this is my first opportunity—on his portfolio. I think he is Labour’s third spokesperson on education since I have been the Minister of Education but it is a fantastic portfolio so I welcome him. In answer to the question yes I do. Despite quite a controversial start to life it is proven to work for the vast majority of New Zealand secondary schools and their students. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Why does she not think the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) should be compulsory for secondary school students? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: I am not quite sure that the member fully understands the concept of Tomorrow’s Schools which gives schools the flexibility to reflect the needs of their communities. Auckland Grammar School has consulted its community and the board is doing what it thinks is best for its current and future pupils. 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Why did she acquiesce to Auckland Grammar School saying its move to relegate NCEA was way ahead but threaten with dismissal parents on boards of trustees who had evidence-based opposition to her national standards policy? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: The member fails to understand that it is not an option for children to learn to read and write and do maths at primary school. If they have not got that ability they have no ability whatsoever to participate in any form of secondary qualifications. As I said it is important under Tomorrow’s Schools that schools have the ability to reflect the needs of their community. Auckland Grammar School is offering NCEA as well as some other forms of qualifications that its community thinks are appropriate. What is more those students are achieving. So where is the harm? 
Hon Darren Hughes 
: Why then does she not make national standards optional as she is prepared to allow NCEA to be optional? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: I thought I just answered that question. It is clear the member does not understand that it is not an option for young children at primary school to learn to read and write and do maths. When did that ability become an option other than under a Labour Government? The National Government is determined to ensure that children have that ability so that we do not have one child in five leaving school unable to read and write and do maths at anywhere near the level they need to succeed. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. That answer was quite a long answer but not to the question that was asked. The question was about options for boards to use assessment systems not about whether kids are taught reading and writing at school. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: I believe that the Minister did answer the question as I heard it. I think she did answer that question. 
Hon Annette King 
: What was the answer? 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister simply argued that learning to read and write is not optional for students and that was the Minister’s answer to why it was not an optional thing. 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: The question was not about an assessment system. That is not what national standards are. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: We are not going to have an argument by way of a point of order. 
Te Ururoa Flavell 
: How is the NCEA system working for young Maori and what place do iwi have in shaping the qualifications for young Maori? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: It is not working nearly well enough when nearly 50 percent—half—of all Maori students leave school without gaining NCEA level 2. We are working hard—with I have to say tremendous support from my Associate Minister the Hon Dr Pita Sharples—to make sure that we address that issue specifically rather than just hope that the students improve as was the case under the previous Labour Government. We have introduced national standards and nga whanaketanga rumaki Maori in order to pick up struggling students and make sure they learn to read and write and do maths before it is too late. We are introducing the Youth Guarantee as I have talked about before to target areas with high numbers of young Maori students who are dropping out of school without a qualification. In the House last week I read out a long list of the initiatives we are putting in place to address Maori underachievement. I also say to the House that the Ministry of Education has 43 agreements with iwi and we are working together constructively to make the changes that are needed and have been needed for so long for Maori students.