Bishop ChrisCHRIS BISHOP (National): Sorry I could not hear you over the applause. The Government's objective broadly expressed is that all persons whatever their ability rich or poor whether they live in town or country have a right as citizens to a free education of the kind for which they are best fitted and to the fullest extent of their powers." This is not a quote from the National Government; the quote I just read out is from Peter Fraser and Clarence Beeby in 1939. That quote summarises exactly what partnership schools are all about: giving all persons whatever their ability rich or poor whether they live in town or country the right to a free education for which they are best fitted. The progressive case for partnership schools is one that is easy to make—it is easy to make—but Labour members opposite and Tracey Martin and New Zealand First are so blinded by their hostility to innovation and by their hostility to agility to nimbleness and to new ways of thinking about schools that they are opposed. The biggest progressive proponent of partnership schools or charter schools in the Western World is none other than sadly outgoing President Barack Obama. He declared a special week in the United States for charter schools in the United States saying: "Our Nation has always been guided by the belief that all young people should be free to dream as big and boldly as they want and that with hard work and determination they can turn their dreams into realities." The few partnership schools we have in New Zealand are different from what they have in the United States—and Tracey Martin always makes this point—but the principle is the same and that is the principle of allowing communities to take control of their destiny of allowing communities to shape local priorities and of allowing innovation within the schooling system. There is a progressive case for partnership schools if members opposite would just open their minds to the ideas—if they just looked and went and actually visited partnership schools. Well done Marama Davidson for actually going to South Auckland Middle School. So often we hear from members opposite absolute blather and rubbish about partnership schools when they have never actually been bothered to go to one. It is a real shame that Marama Davidson decided to go to the partnership school with blinkers on—that she was going to tell the people who actually ran the partnership school that she was opposed to it. You sort of wonder why you would go in the first place if you are so closed-minded that you would never actually change your mind. But OK fair enough good on you for going—so often members do not. Partnership schools target underachievement. They target people who have traditionally missed out on a good education. They target that long tail of underachievement. There is a progressive case for partnership schools and members opposite should get on board with it. What are the three objections we have heard so far? The first is that partnership schools use unregistered teachers or they have the ability to use unregistered teachers and yet we have unregistered teachers throughout the New Zealand education system. We have them in early childhood education. We have volunteers. We have teachers under limited authority to teach. We have them in the tertiary education system we have them in trade courses and we have them at private training establishments. So the litmus test cannot be: "You must be a registered teacher in order to pass on knowledge to students." Tracey Martin: Why do you hate teachers? Why do you hate teachers?The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard): Order! I do not hate teachers.CHRIS BISHOP: The second objection is that this is about privatisation and we heard Marama Davidson say it over and over again. She said partnership schools should not be about education for profit for business—except that all bar one are charitable trusts. They are not for business; they are charitable trusts—all bar one are charitable trusts. The second point is that we already have private schools in the New Zealand education system. Is it now the Green Party policy to immediately close every private school around the country? We look forward to hearing that. The third point to say is that this is public money we are talking about. This is charitable trusts using public money in the provision of public education. Partnership schools are public education—it is public money teaching New Zealand students as members of the public in a slightly more innovative way than had otherwise been delivered. So the first two objections are that we have got unregistered teachers and that we are privatising the education system. The third objection—and this is the classic; this is the doozy—is that they say "Oh but we've got special character schools." as if that is the answer and "Actually we are in favour of innovation in the education system we are in favour of flexibility we have got special character schools." My point is if special character schools are fine what is wrong with partnership schools? They are just the next step in innovation targeting underachievement.The ASSISTANT SPEAKER (Hon Trevor Mallard): Order! The member's time has expired."