Mallard Trevor: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Mallard Trevor: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:654;Page:4140] 
6.  
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Labour—Hutt South) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: What is the most important factor the Government can influence to improve the quality of learning in schools? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY (Minister of Education) 
: 
 I believe there are a number of very important factors that influence the quality of learning in schools. These include students who are engaged in their learning high-quality teachers who are focused on student achievement and parents who are interested and involved in their children’s education. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Does she agree that the quality of teaching is a vital factor influencing the quality of learning in schools; if so why has she cut teacher professional development by over $35 million in the Budget? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: The Government is continuing to provide at least $104 million for professional development of teachers. This sum does not include money that schools are able to spend on professional development directly through their operations grant funding. Given this strong investment to suggest that we are cutting a huge swathe through professional development funding is typical Labour Party exaggeration. 
Allan Peachey 
: How is the Government improving the quality of learning in schools? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: There are many ways. One in particular is a key plank of our national standards policy and that is to deliver school reports to parents in plain language with clear achievement information. The evidence is clear that when parents are involved in their children’s learning the children have a greater chance of succeeding. When parents are not receiving good information about their child’s performance that is a barrier to their getting involved. It is a barrier that this Government wants to bring down. 
Kelvin Davis 
: What is the research base she referred to that justifies her decision to make cuts to teacher professional development? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: I did not refer to any research base. I referred to the fact that the Government is continuing to provide directly from the Ministry of Education $104 million for professional development of schools. Schools are still able to fund more professional development out of their operations grant. 
Sue Moroney 
: Why has the Government cut the funding for early childhood education centres of innovation the early childhood education advisory training and education fund the early childhood education exemplar development programme and the early childhood education information and communications technology framework and cut the funding to reduce staff-child ratios all of which improve the quality of early childhood education? 
Hon Shane Jones 
: No aroha for the mokopuna. 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: I am not sure whether that is early childhood language or what. We have made changes to the priorities for spending on early childhood education. We want all New Zealand children to participate in early childhood education so our highest priority is to increase participation. The extra funding of $69 million will increase participation. 
Hon Trevor Mallard 
: Did the Minister receive any expert or professional advice that indicated to her that the quality of teaching and learning could be improved by cutting teacher professional development? 
Hon ANNE TOLLEY 
: No.