Luxton JoJO LUXTON (Labour): Mr Assistant Speaker thank you for the opportunity to stand and speak for the first time on this member's bill. This bill is in the name of Jenny Marcroft of New Zealand First and I congratulate her on what is a small but very important bill that amends the Education Act of 1989. With several other amendments to the Education Act of 1989 we have seen teachers or people teaching our children that are not qualified as teachers—who have not trained and qualified as teachers. This bill seeks to address that.So what is the intent of this bill? It is to lift the status of teachers. But wait—what is this strange and unusual concept? Let me repeat it: to lift the status of teachers. Well I tell you: finally—finally—we have a Government that actually wants to lift the status of teachers and that is reflected in this bill.I recall when I was at high school and the guidance counsellor or whatever you have—Kiritapu Allan: Gisborne High School.JO LUXTON: —or whatever they were called—Gisborne Girls' High School Campion College that's right—asked me what I intended to do when I left school. I was young and I said I want to be a hairdresser." and they said "No Jo. You are better than that. You are more capable than that. Why not consider being a teacher?" If only we held teachers in that high regard today as they did back then. We wouldn't be having to address it in this bill.Another example I have is in the early childhood centre that I own we have lots and lots of Filipino families and Filipino families—when their children arrive at the centre they tend to just push them in the door and say goodbye. We wanted to understand why they did that so we asked them to come in and address us and explain it and they said "Because you are the teachers. You are qualified. We are just the parents."—although I will not belittle that in any way shape or form because that is hugely important. But they acknowledged: "You are the teachers."Kiritapu Allan: That's right.JO LUXTON: That's right. So this is such an exciting time to be involved in education and the teaching profession. What we have here is a Government that is intent on reversing the de-professionalisation of teachers. This Government has a vision not only for education but also for the teaching profession. We are already seeing that with the bill that was recently introduced the Education (Teaching Council of Aotearoa) Amendment Bill. We are also seeing it with the Government's initiatives around wanting to bring back 100 percent qualified teachers in early childhood education centres—how fantastic is that for the early childhood teaching profession.I can recall—and I think I have said this before when I spoke on the Education (Teaching Council of Aotearoa) Amendment Bill. I trained and studied hard to become a qualified teacher and I've had to put up with comments about being "nothing but a glorified babysitter" "nothing but the chief nappy changer" and things like that. I worked hard and I studied hard and I got my qualification so by rights I am a teacher and that is something I hold in very high regard.Kiritapu Allan: That's right.JO LUXTON: That's right. I can't go round and say I'm a lawyer. I can't go round and say I'm a doctor. Why? Because I haven't trained and qualified to be one and I'd probably be in quite serious trouble if I did. So why should the teaching profession be recognised as anything less?I just want to say again that teachers spend several years studying and training to become qualified and we want teaching to be seen as a valued career choice and as a fantastic profession to get into. We are working with and teaching the next generation and we need to ensure that we've got the best-qualified teachers in front of our tamariki teaching them giving them the skills—lifelong learning skills actually—in education.I just also want to finish off by saying that this bill will lift the status of the early childhood teaching profession and I absolutely without hesitation commend this bill to the House."