Kaye Nikki: Urgent Debates — Educational Achievement—OECD Programme for International Student Assessment ReportText is subject to correctionKaye Nikki: Urgent Debates — Educational Achievement—OECD Programme for International Student Assessment Report[Sitting date: 04 December 2013. Volume:695;Page:15225. Text is subject to correction.]Hon NIKKI KAYE (Associate Minister of Education): I am very pleased to speak in this debate. I think I share with many members in this House the concern about the Programme for International Student Assessment results. The first thing that I want to say is that every week I visit schools I meet parents I meet teachers I meet principals and I meet people who are absolutely passionate about our education system. But I think it is really important that when we enter this debate we actually analyse what the Programme for International Student Assessment is telling us. There are a number of very clear things coming through from this report.The first thing that I want to address is that we have had a number of things raised by the Opposition that are just not true. The first thing that we heard from Labour was that these results were actually because National had under-invested in our education system. Well this is not true. We are spending $9.7 billion—the highest ever investment in Vote Education—with year-on-year increases. There has been a 40 percent increase in Vote Education since 2007. We are investing 20 percent of all public expenditure in education which is the second highest in the OECD.The second thing that we heard from Mr Hipkins was that this was actually all our fault. Well actually when you look at the Programme for International Student Assessment results the reality is that these children came through between 2003 and 2012. What we need to do in this House is actually stop the blame game and accept that this is a serious issue that it needs proper analysis and that it is an education system issue and all members of the House need to band together to actually look at how we address some of these issues.The third thing we heard was that the reason for these Programme for International Student Assessment results was actually national standards—I know that we have just heard from Tracey Martin on that—but actually that is factually untrue. National standards were introduced in 2010. The reality is that the children in this cohort could not benefit from the targeting of national standards—knowing where children needed to be lifted—because national standards were not properly implemented through that period. They were introduced in 2010 and children could not have been targeted in that 2003 to 2012 period.The next thing that we heard was that this is actually somehow because of charter schools and investment in private education. Again I think many New Zealanders listening to this debate would realise that that is ridiculous.So now we actually get to the point where we can ask what is going on here. I think that the most important thing that we need to remember is that for the last decade there has been a group of voices in this country that has said “We need change.” right? Then there has been a group of other voices that has said “No we need no change.” It has been our Government and our party that have been consistent in saying that actually the only way that we can ensure that every child gets the kind of opportunities that we want for every New Zealander is to have change. That is why we are unashamedly proud of national standards.The biggest thing that I say to many audiences and to many teachers principals and parents when I get out in the community is: “How can we possibly help those children if we don’t know where they are and we don’t know where we can help them?”. It is so simple. The reality is that now we do know where those children are and we are putting in resources to help them.The second thing that we have really focused on is recognising that we do need to ensure that we raise the value of the teaching profession. That is about professional development. We did announce a review this week and that is going to be very important in terms of raising the value of the profession and raising quality teaching. The next thing that we have done is that we have been really clear that the reform of the Teachers Council is incredibly important to ensure that the teaching profession as well has greater responsibility and a greater role in terms of lifting standards.I think there has traditionally been a problem in New Zealand in terms of truancy and school-leavers. The other thing that the Programme for International Student Assessment results show which I think is really interesting is that more kids are staying at school which is great. Early leaving exemptions fell to 313 last year from a peak of more than 4187 applications in 2005. That is a 93 percent decrease under National. That is incredibly significant because how can we possibly improve our education system and raise opportunities for young people if they are not actually at school? I think there are some quite amazing results here in terms of areas like school- leavers.There are some other very positive things happening in terms of national standards and professional development but all people in this House need to realise that this is serious and the only way that we can really do service to the rest of New Zealand is by taking responsibility and making change.