5. Education Policy—National Standards New Entrants Age and Partnership SchoolsHon NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) to the Minister of EducationEducation Policy—National Standards New Entrants Age and Partnership Schools5. Hon NIKKI KAYE (National—Auckland Central) to the Minister of Education: Does he stand by all his statements including I've discovered that anecdotes are not always a good way of making Government policy"?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS (Minister of Education): Mr Speaker Merry Christmas; and yes I do stand by my statements in the context in which I made them. Hon Nikki Kaye: Does he stand by his statement that national standards will end but schools will not be forced to get rid of national standards and why does he think it's good Government policy for the Ministry of Education to remove key support and documents from their website—effectively forcing schools to ditch national standards? Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I'll go through this slowly. We have been very clear that national standards have now been abolished. What tools schools use to measure a child's progress are up to them. The Ministry of Education—as was explained to the member at select committee this morning—has removed the elements of compulsion on their website around what schools have to do with regard to the previous national standards regime. Hon Nikki Kaye: Does he stand by his statement regarding partnership schools that "They won't continue under Labour. The 2019 schools will not open." and is it good Government policy for the Crown to be facing potential court cases and have schools unclear on the eve of Christmas what criteria they need to keep open? Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: I've been very clear that the Government intends to fulfil its pre-election commitment—made by all three of the governing parties—to remove the charter schools or partnership schools model and if we want to avoid any legal challenges to that then me answering the latter part of the question would simply increase the odds of that. Hon Nikki Kaye: Does he stand by his statement that an amendment will be progressed that changes the school starting age and does he believe it's a good way of making Government policy to not tell any coalition partners the Prime Minister or Cabinet prior to making the announcement? Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: The coalition partners the Prime Minister and Cabinet all were aware of the collective view that we took into the election campaign opposing the cohort entry policy introduced by the previous Government which they didn't consult anybody on before they introduced it and legislated for it in the House. We've been very clear that we will go through a consultation process with regard to changing that process and I've been also very clear with the public about my intention. On the one hand the Opposition seem to be saying we're not public enough about our intentions but on the other hand they criticise us when we are. Hon Simon Bridges: Oh a secret agenda. Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Exactly right—exactly right! Hon Nikki Kaye: Does he stand by his statement that "Giving all children the best possible start in life is one of Labour's highest priorities." and if so why has he pushed through rushed ideological changes to our education system with little consultation and detail and at a huge cost to New Zealand parents and students? Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: Yes and I haven't and—thirdly to that—unlike the previous Government we won't be freezing funding for early childhood education for the better part of a decade which has set New Zealand children back. Jan Tinetti: Has his view that Government policy should not be based on anecdotes influenced his approach to replacing national standards?Hon CHRIS HIPKINS: That's absolutely right. It has indeed influenced my approach to replacing national standards which is that we will go through a thorough process unlike rushing through the introduction of national standards which the previous Government did and they got it badly wrong."