1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:01,640 Speaker 1: So the most alarming story of the week to my 2 00:00:01,680 --> 00:00:04,040 Speaker 1: eye anyway, was the increase yet again of kids leaving 3 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,320 Speaker 1: school with literally no qualification. Sixteen percent had nothing. It's 4 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: thousands of kids. It's our highest figure in a decade. 5 00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:11,760 Speaker 1: David Seymour's Associate Education Minister, of course, and it is 6 00:00:11,800 --> 00:00:13,760 Speaker 1: with us very good morning morning. 7 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:13,960 Speaker 2: Way. 8 00:00:14,040 --> 00:00:16,400 Speaker 1: So Nicolad tried yesterday on the program to talk about 9 00:00:16,400 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 1: the curriculum, and the curriculum is fantastic and the changes 10 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:20,799 Speaker 1: are great. But I'm my suspicion as the curriculum is 11 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:22,360 Speaker 1: not going to solve the problem. Is that fair? 12 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 2: Well, I completely support everything the government is doing, of course, 13 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:31,600 Speaker 2: it's all sensible stuff. We should have one classroom with 14 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:35,360 Speaker 2: one teacher, with kids facing the front, learning a curriculum 15 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:39,920 Speaker 2: of rich knowledge, and then getting examined on a test 16 00:00:39,960 --> 00:00:42,080 Speaker 2: that actually gives you a score out of one hundred 17 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:44,800 Speaker 2: and requires you to learn all the knowledge. Just pick 18 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 2: and choose certain unit standards out of the NCAA. All 19 00:00:48,080 --> 00:00:52,199 Speaker 2: of that is one hundred percent correct. But actually all 20 00:00:52,240 --> 00:00:55,200 Speaker 2: of that should be obvious. It's only because things have 21 00:00:55,320 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 2: been so disastrous, whether it's Techia paratus, big barnyard classrooms, 22 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:04,959 Speaker 2: the NCA itself, the so called world leading New Zealand 23 00:01:05,319 --> 00:01:08,399 Speaker 2: curriculum that goes back to the Clark government of two 24 00:01:08,440 --> 00:01:11,640 Speaker 2: thousand and seven. So many crazy things have been done 25 00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 2: that what Eric is doing is being cheered on, where 26 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 2: actually it's perfectly obvious stuff. 27 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:22,000 Speaker 1: My problem with these kids leaving is this. I mean, 28 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:23,720 Speaker 1: there's always going to be a bunch of no hopers, 29 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:26,560 Speaker 1: but the bunch of no hopers is increasing in numbers. 30 00:01:26,600 --> 00:01:28,679 Speaker 1: Are we doing something wrong or are we just got 31 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:30,279 Speaker 1: a bunch of no hopers and we have to put. 32 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:34,200 Speaker 2: Up with it? Well, look, I think the education systems 33 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 2: become less appealing because you don't have a knowledgeable adult 34 00:01:38,040 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 2: standing at the front telling your stuff. That feels like 35 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:43,280 Speaker 2: if you miss out, you're missing out on something valuable. 36 00:01:43,360 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 2: And that's because of the erosion of the curriculum and 37 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:49,800 Speaker 2: so on. But I think it's also true that while 38 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 2: it's absolutely critical to run the government education system, well 39 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:57,680 Speaker 2: we need alternatives. And you know you won't surprise you 40 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 2: to know my version of that is chartischool. And I'll 41 00:02:00,800 --> 00:02:03,280 Speaker 2: give you an example of what that looks like. Tangibly 42 00:02:03,800 --> 00:02:07,320 Speaker 2: in christ Church, christ Church North College, a group of 43 00:02:07,400 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 2: four state school principals got together and said, look, we 44 00:02:10,960 --> 00:02:14,200 Speaker 2: have children that we cannot serve under our model. They 45 00:02:14,240 --> 00:02:18,000 Speaker 2: have endorsed a new charter school, christ Church North College, 46 00:02:18,440 --> 00:02:20,679 Speaker 2: and the way it works is they take children who 47 00:02:20,720 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 2: have been totally disengaged. Every kid at that school had 48 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:27,680 Speaker 2: either stopped attending or at least was not attending at 49 00:02:27,720 --> 00:02:32,360 Speaker 2: all regularly. In twenty twenty four. Now every single kid 50 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:36,840 Speaker 2: is attending dramatically more than they were. About half of 51 00:02:36,840 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 2: them are attending regularly, which is not bad. There's a 52 00:02:40,040 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 2: lot of state schools where that's not the case. And 53 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:45,079 Speaker 2: with kids who weren't attending at all, it's a good thing. 54 00:02:45,600 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 2: And why is that Well, basically because they've taken each 55 00:02:48,800 --> 00:02:52,359 Speaker 2: of these kids, worked out why they're disengaged, given them 56 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:56,919 Speaker 2: a program to get some foundational skills, and started to 57 00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 2: set them up with a trade in the future. State 58 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:04,080 Speaker 2: schools there's some valiant people that often don't have the 59 00:03:04,120 --> 00:03:06,400 Speaker 2: ability to do that. If you set up a school 60 00:03:06,440 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 2: with flexible funding, same money, greater flexibility and so you 61 00:03:10,240 --> 00:03:12,320 Speaker 2: guys need to do something different, then I think you 62 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:14,640 Speaker 2: can start to fix some of these problem right. 63 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,960 Speaker 1: That's encouraging. Would you sack will a Jeon Prime. I mean, 64 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:19,240 Speaker 1: this is inexcusable, isn't it. 65 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:24,119 Speaker 2: Well, I would because of course there's lots of other 66 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:27,760 Speaker 2: act MPs I could put into her place. But if 67 00:03:27,840 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 2: I was just Senda's little helper, who, by the way, 68 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:33,959 Speaker 2: is returning to the scene of the crime with extra 69 00:03:34,000 --> 00:03:37,360 Speaker 2: petrol this weekend, then I don't know what I'd do, 70 00:03:37,440 --> 00:03:40,360 Speaker 2: because she could be the best option that labor has. 71 00:03:40,960 --> 00:03:43,080 Speaker 1: Nice to talk to you, have a good weekend, David Seymour, 72 00:03:43,160 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: Associate Education Minister. At least there's something out of that 73 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 1: which is encouraging for. 74 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:51,080 Speaker 2: More from the Mic Asking Breakfast. Listen live to news 75 00:03:51,080 --> 00:03:54,000 Speaker 2: talks that'd be from six am weekdays, or follow the 76 00:03:54,040 --> 00:03:55,520 Speaker 2: podcast on iHeartRadio.