1
00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:01,880
Speaker 1: Now, can I ask you a question about parents? I

2
00:00:01,880 --> 00:00:03,760
Speaker 1: sort of asked Erica A moment ago. I watched Erica

3
00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:06,080
Speaker 1: as I told her, do that press conference yesterday at

4
00:00:06,120 --> 00:00:09,000
Speaker 1: a school in Wellington launching this writing action plan. And

5
00:00:09,080 --> 00:00:11,200
Speaker 1: while I was watching that, I was reading a story

6
00:00:11,240 --> 00:00:13,840
Speaker 1: about Nichola Willis, who it was suggested by people in

7
00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:15,840
Speaker 1: London might be the next prime minister. And now she'd

8
00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:18,200
Speaker 1: gone to the New Zealand if you've missed this piece

9
00:00:18,239 --> 00:00:20,599
Speaker 1: of nonsense, as she'd gone to the New Zealand Society

10
00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:22,840
Speaker 1: on her trip last week, stood there in a tangerine

11
00:00:22,880 --> 00:00:25,279
Speaker 1: suit and there had been a buzz about the room

12
00:00:25,760 --> 00:00:28,040
Speaker 1: as they wondered whether this was New Zealand's next prime minister.

13
00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:29,800
Speaker 1: It was a very weird story and says a lot

14
00:00:29,840 --> 00:00:31,720
Speaker 1: about the modern media. And it means nothing, of course,

15
00:00:31,720 --> 00:00:34,800
Speaker 1: But if it ever came down to it, I'd take

16
00:00:34,840 --> 00:00:38,000
Speaker 1: Stamford over Willis all day long. She is a force

17
00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:39,839
Speaker 1: of nature Stamford. And if you ever want to see

18
00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:41,600
Speaker 1: a minister in charge of detail what you're in a

19
00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:44,040
Speaker 1: classroom in front of cameras, you won't fail to be impressed.

20
00:00:44,200 --> 00:00:46,880
Speaker 1: Bad news, though part of the day involved this release

21
00:00:46,920 --> 00:00:49,240
Speaker 1: of the Darta showing our kids in year three, six

22
00:00:49,240 --> 00:00:51,320
Speaker 1: and eight, they're in real trouble when it comes to

23
00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:53,120
Speaker 1: the maths and reading. A small minority are where they

24
00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:57,280
Speaker 1: should be. A small minority, our small minority are where

25
00:00:57,280 --> 00:00:59,640
Speaker 1: they should be. So the claim is at this stage,

26
00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:02,880
Speaker 1: by stay Anford, is what they've introduced and are introducing

27
00:01:03,040 --> 00:01:07,240
Speaker 1: is the turnaround plan, is the magic, the cure, the panacea.

28
00:01:07,400 --> 00:01:10,039
Speaker 1: Not that it makes it better. But the numbers out

29
00:01:10,120 --> 00:01:12,600
Speaker 1: yesterday were marked against some of the new standards, hence

30
00:01:12,640 --> 00:01:16,080
Speaker 1: the mass of failure rate. Now this stuff is benchmark internationally.

31
00:01:16,120 --> 00:01:18,679
Speaker 1: As she told us a moment ago, and once not

32
00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:20,760
Speaker 1: long ago, maybe when I was at school. I don't know.

33
00:01:20,840 --> 00:01:24,120
Speaker 1: In a lot of stuff we actually lead the world.

34
00:01:25,120 --> 00:01:28,759
Speaker 1: Today we are so far from leading the world it

35
00:01:28,760 --> 00:01:31,560
Speaker 1: makes you want to cry. Stanford isn't crying. She speaks

36
00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:33,319
Speaker 1: in a way that suggests you know something the rest

37
00:01:33,319 --> 00:01:36,120
Speaker 1: of us don't like. She's seen the future and it's bright,

38
00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:39,240
Speaker 1: or it could be. She just hopes it is and

39
00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:41,240
Speaker 1: is faking it till she makes it. Because the gap

40
00:01:41,240 --> 00:01:43,040
Speaker 1: between where our kids are and where they need to

41
00:01:43,040 --> 00:01:47,080
Speaker 1: be as gargantuan. So back to the parents, where are

42
00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:50,400
Speaker 1: they maths, as I suggested to Erica a moment, you

43
00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:52,400
Speaker 1: can sort of. I mean, it can be tricky maths

44
00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:54,720
Speaker 1: if you want to find an excuse. But reading and

45
00:01:54,760 --> 00:01:57,840
Speaker 1: writing isn't. A kid who can't read or write properly

46
00:01:57,880 --> 00:01:59,840
Speaker 1: by high school, and that's what we're dealing with here.

47
00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,160
Speaker 1: By high school is a reflection of their home life.

48
00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:05,160
Speaker 1: As much as the school, schools take too much heat,

49
00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:08,600
Speaker 1: I reckon governments take too much heat. If your kid

50
00:02:08,680 --> 00:02:11,240
Speaker 1: can't read or write, and your kid is twelve or

51
00:02:11,280 --> 00:02:15,560
Speaker 1: thirteen years old, where have you been? For more from

52
00:02:15,600 --> 00:02:18,640
Speaker 1: the Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to news Talks at

53
00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:21,800
Speaker 1: B from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast on

54
00:02:21,880 --> 00:02:22,560
Speaker 1: iHeartRadio