Willie, William and Jan Walking in a Winter Wonderland

It has been astonishing to read recently just how disconnected senior government MPs are with the reality of their decisions for young people, as evidenced by their press releases and comments.

Starting with Associate Minister of Education Jan Tinetti: it has become common knowledge in New Zealand that we have a significant problem with school attendance. We do not know the extent of that with unerring accuracy because, for some bizarre reason, schools are not required to submit their attendance figures to the ministry. However, sampling makes it clear that in decile-one schools’ full attendance is below 40 per cent and even the highest decile sits around 70 per cent. To solve this, the Education and Workforce Select Committee had an inquiry into school attendance. Of New Zealand’s 2,600 schools, only six made a submission. In that case, the committee’s task was obvious – find and go to 15 schools where attendance is poor and ask the children and families why. Then go to 15 schools where attendance is excellent and ask the same question.

Based on this bizarre report, Tinetti set up an attendance and engagement strategy and it is waffle from there – with low aspirational targets to be achieved in a staggered manner. Urgency is missing. Accountability of the Ministry of Education, which is overseeing the decline of our education system, is as absent as low-decile students. There is no mention of school quality, teacher quality or of deep engagement with families on why their children attending school and getting qualifications is a good thing. There is no mention of school accountability with high and frequent public reporting of the statistics. Tinetti does mention that she wants schools to be safe places, but makes no mention of aspiration, inspiration and schools being exciting, interesting and worthwhile to attend every day.

Willie Jackson is the Minister for Maori Development. He at least acknowledges the need to change cycles for potentially disengaged youth and that any hope of intergenerational wealth growing is through education and training. Thus, the recent announcement of the continuation of the funding of 1,000 Maori cadetships each year may help those few. What should be known, though, is that this is like using a cup to drain Lake Taupo. According to the 2022 Auckland Council update on the city’s children and young people in the southern initiative area of Auckland, alone, over 32 per cent of Maori students leave school without even level-one NCEA. Those students are very unlikely to appeal to the businesses that receive funding for the cadetships. There are more than 10,000 Aucklanders in the 15-24 age group who are NEETS (not engaged in education, employment or training). A significant number of these are not available for work and not captured by the 3.2 per cent unemployment figure the government likes to quote. The report also notes that: “There is a lost cohort of young people who disengaged from school due to the pandemic.” Well done to the lucky 1,000 Minister Jackson, but so much more is needed from before birth through to the end of high school to bring about that intergenerational wealth.

Which is where we come to William Sio as the Minister for Pacific Peoples. During question time in the House earlier this month, he announced a programme to build 300 homes over 10 years in Porirua for Pacific families to buy, because they “want to own their own homes” and to “build intergenerational wealth and independence”. Minister Sio is metaphorically beside Minister Jackson trying to drain Lake Taupo, but he is using a teaspoon. In Auckland alone, only one third of Pacific people own the dwelling that they live in and 80,000 live in homes defined as “crowded” by international measures. The minister seems unaware of the extent of the problem and all three ministers discussed have completely lost focus that you earn a good income through having a good qualification, skill sets and life habits through your education and post-education employment. You are then far more likely to be able to pay rent for a decent home, save a deposit and aspire to buy a home. They have forgotten that a good education is a key foundation of a healthy society and are choosing to ignore the extent of the problems.

How does the New Zealand public get them to notice? The first step is to acknowledge that they are politicians. Then the public needs to actively care more. The 2022 IPSOS Issues Monitor only has six per cent of New Zealand adults regarding the state of our education system as being an important issue. If we have our heads in the sand, we give the politicians the excuse they need to care less.