English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
English Bill: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:621;Page:16703] 
2.  
Hon BILL ENGLISH (National—Clutha-Southland) 
 to the  
Minister of Education 
: What is the Government’s policy on parents being required to provide financial contributions to their children’s schools? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD (Minister of Education) 
: 
 Notwithstanding that member’s comments that schools are awash with cash State schools are allowed to ask parents for a donation. I understand that if the privatisation model proposed by Dr Brash were implemented it would result in fees of $7000 per year per child. 
Hon Bill English 
: Does Government policy endorse the activities of Western Springs College which has sent out to parents an invoice that states: “This statement is issued to let you know just how much your daughter owes.” and then lists: “School donation one child $180. Please pay this amount. Please pay the amount due: $180.”; does the Government endorse that kind of practice? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: No. In fact I condemn it. 
Helen Duncan 
: What reports has the Minister received on possible changes to the way our education system is operated and funded? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I have seen one report on the administration of schools that suggests our education system is run like a 1950s coalmine or an Eastern European shipyard. The same report suggested that State funding of education resembled a Soviet-style monopoly. It was the same speech where the privatisation agenda was raised by Dr Brash. 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: What is the Minister’s response—[ 
Interruption 
] 
Mr SPEAKER 
: There is one member on each side who made irrelevant interjections and also grossly out-of-order interjections. I will not warn them again. That is the one warning. 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: What is the Minister’s response to the finding in recent research of the New Zealand Council for Educational Research that effective schools are “now dependent for the most part on the funds they are able to raise from sources other than their Government funding” which obviously includes increasing demands on parents’ wallets? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I am accepting the member at his word that it is a direct quote. If it is a direct quote it is inaccurate because they do not mostly rely on parental or locally raised funds. That is absolutely inaccurate. Staffing and property costs are way above that. 
Metiria Turei 
: Does the Minister agree that schools that require a child to work off a school donation as reported in yesterday’s  
New Zealand Herald 
 are simply involved in child exploitation and will he immediately advise all schools in this country that no child is required to pick up rubbish or undertake minor maintenance in exchange for his or her free public education? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: No and no. 
Bernie Ogilvy 
: What impact does the Minister think the dramatic downturn on foreign fee-paying students will have on schools’ financial position in light of the fact that the deficits have doubled from $14 million to $29 million in 8 years and will he adjust operation grants accordingly? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: As that member is aware because he is an astute questioner the over operating surpluses in schools last year were substantially above the year before which was above the year before that. 
Hon Bill English 
: If the Minister condemns the practice of schools sending out invoices what will he do about this correspondence from Hillcrest High School: “Thank you for your school fee donation of $80 for your daughter. Our records indicate that fees of $80 remain to be paid. School fees are $160 for the full year.”—this is a letter from Hillcrest High School demanding payment from one of its parents; and will he actually do something about this if he is opposed to it? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I will work with the ministry to instruct the school of its rights in that area. It does not have the right to send out such a letter. 
Hon Bill English 
: Does the Minister intend to allow the situation to continue where parents in schools are raising almost half a billion dollars per year while the ministry spends hundreds of millions of dollars on his pet projects? 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: This Minister has raised the amount spent on literacy from almost zero to nearly $60 million and the amount on numeracy from absolutely zero to a significant amount. If they are pet projects which those members in Opposition do not like the numeracy and literacy programmes—things that have placed us third in the world—then they can campaign on that at election time. 
Hon Brian Donnelly 
: I seek leave of the House to table the New Zealand Council for Educational Research paper. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon Bill English 
: I seek leave to table an invoice from Western Springs College for payment of $180 school fees. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I just want to make sure that it does not identify the child. 
Hon Bill English 
: No it does not. This is written out for the Minister. I seek leave to table a letter from Hillcrest High School to parents demanding payment of $80 in school fees. 
Hon TREVOR MALLARD 
: On the same basis? 
Hon Bill English 
: Yes 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.