Hipkins Chris: Oral Questions — Questions to MinistersText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeHipkins Chris: Oral Questions — Questions to Ministers[Sitting date: 11 May 2016. Volume:713;Page:10977. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]12.CHRIS HIPKINS (Labour—Rimutaka) to the Minister of Education: Why does she accept some responsibility as Minister of Education for Hon Bill English’s statement that a lot of Kiwis are “pretty damned hopeless” and “they can’t read and write properly”?Hon HEKIA PARATA (Minister of Education): The member has incorrectly stated what I said in this Chamber last week. I said: “… I do accept responsibility for my part as Minister of Education but we all have a role to play—including the member—in encouraging educational success in all our young people.” I do hope the member is rising to affirm that.Chris Hipkins: Does she agree with Bill English’s comment that there is a “cohort of Kiwis now who can’t get a licence because they can’t read and write properly and don’t look to be employable—y’know basically young males.”; if so is she confident that every student leaving school now after 8 years of a National Government is not adding to that cohort?Hon HEKIA PARATA: We are focusing on every young person in our schools. There are different levels of educational challenge and all schools are doing their very best to meet that. Where we are very sure is that now that we have national standards in place we can understand much earlier in our system how well or not our kids are doing and intervene sooner unlike the previous Government—and actually I think it is on record now that Labour would do away with national standards and go back to driving blind.Chris Hipkins: I do not think even blind people are allowed to drive without a licence.Mr SPEAKER: Order! I will have the supplementary question.Chris Hipkins: Why did she tell the House in March this year that she had full confidence in the minimum literacy and numeracy requirements for the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) when she was advised by the Ministry of Education in May last year that the standards were not up to scratch and needed to change?Hon HEKIA PARATA: I said I had full confidence in teachers assessing the requirements for NCEA which included the rigorous improvement from 2013 for the 10 credits for literacy and numeracy. At the same time—because we are devoted to continuous improvement—the Ministry of Education is working with the sector to understand what benchmarks would be more appropriate has been investigating the use of the youth assessment tool that the Tertiary Education Commission uses and has been working with the moderators on how best to understand what assessment is working. It is not perfect; the member understands that. But this Government is absolutely committed to continuously improving. That is why we have seen achievement rates go up so much under this Government. [Interruption]Mr SPEAKER: Order! No that part is not helpful. Just ask the supplementary question.Chris Hipkins: Do the current minimum literacy and numeracy requirements for NCEA meet the OECD benchmarks for the minimum level of literacy and numeracy required for life in a modern society?Hon HEKIA PARATA: I think the member is referring to the report published by the in December last year using 2012 information so on that basis our literacy competencies are not completely aligned with the OECD but we are absolutely confident that they relate to our circumstances. However they do need improvement and that work is being done.Chris Hipkins: Does she agree that it is not the kids doing their best to complete their qualifications that are “pretty damned hopeless” but the Government Ministers who having been told minimum literacy and numeracy requirements for NCEA are not enough to prove school leavers are functionally literate and numerate continue to sit on their hands and do nothing about the problem?Hon HEKIA PARATA: I do not agree with the member blaming kids at all.Chris Hipkins: How is describing any New Zealanders as “pretty damned hopeless” evidence of her claim that the Government has high expectations for everyone?Hon HEKIA PARATA: I do not know whether the member just does not understand or whether he is just being wilful about it but what the Deputy Prime Minister was doing was quoting what employers have said to him. I am aware that we do have young people who do not have the literacy and numeracy skills that they need to be successful and that is why I told the House last week that we have introduced initiatives that are focusing on getting those young people reconnected. We have introduced credits for driver’s licences; we are taking a wraparound approach because we are not prepared to sacrifice any one of our young people.