1 00:00:00,840 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: Heather Dupless out. 2 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:04,880 Speaker 2: Now, as we've been discussing Country Kindy and Rural mana 3 00:00:04,920 --> 00:00:07,400 Speaker 2: we two has received a stay of execution. The Ministry 4 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:10,000 Speaker 2: of Education had announced it was going to close on Monday, 5 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:12,399 Speaker 2: but then David Seymour got involved, and then the Kindy 6 00:00:12,480 --> 00:00:14,960 Speaker 2: launched legal action and now the Ministry of Education has 7 00:00:15,000 --> 00:00:17,239 Speaker 2: decided to allow the Kendy to stay open for twelve 8 00:00:17,280 --> 00:00:20,159 Speaker 2: more weeks. The Associate Education Minister, David Seymour was with 9 00:00:20,239 --> 00:00:23,439 Speaker 2: us now, Hey David, Hey, Heather, So did you get 10 00:00:23,440 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 2: involved in tell the ministry to change its mind? 11 00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: No, I can't do that. There's two things I've got 12 00:00:30,000 --> 00:00:32,880 Speaker 1: to be clear about. One is that under the law 13 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:35,600 Speaker 1: at the moment, it is up to the Secretary of 14 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: Education and in reality some of her staff to make 15 00:00:40,440 --> 00:00:44,479 Speaker 1: these licensing decisions. And two is that it's now before 16 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:46,400 Speaker 1: the court, so it's probably going to be up to 17 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:49,960 Speaker 1: them to decide. What I've done is called the MAUL 18 00:00:50,440 --> 00:00:53,760 Speaker 1: and including the people from one OA two who have 19 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: been involved and said are you guys absolutely sure you're 20 00:00:57,000 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: making the right decision and is there any question of 21 00:01:00,520 --> 00:01:04,000 Speaker 1: student safety? And what they've confirmed is that there's no 22 00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:08,600 Speaker 1: question here that any student is in any danger. There's 23 00:01:08,600 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: no health or safety issue. It all relates effectively to 24 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:18,200 Speaker 1: paperwork and compliance around the curriculum, and of stressed to 25 00:01:18,240 --> 00:01:21,399 Speaker 1: them that they want to be absolutely sure that they're 26 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:24,160 Speaker 1: doing the right thing because they're now going to have 27 00:01:24,240 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: to answer to a judge by the sound of it. 28 00:01:26,520 --> 00:01:28,960 Speaker 2: Okay, So are you aware that they closed the candy 29 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:32,000 Speaker 2: down for things like not writing a philosophy statement. 30 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: Well, one of the reasons that the government has what 31 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:42,480 Speaker 1: we're calling a Regulatory Sector Review of Early childhood is 32 00:01:42,560 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: that early childhood centers are subjected to extraordinary amounts of 33 00:01:48,240 --> 00:01:53,360 Speaker 1: regulatory compliance. For example, I had someone email me yesterday 34 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 1: and just point out that they have to have nineteen 35 00:01:57,120 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 1: documents like that ready up to date and prepared for 36 00:02:01,440 --> 00:02:05,560 Speaker 1: inspection any time, and they can lose their license, doesn't 37 00:02:05,600 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 1: matter how much. 38 00:02:06,360 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 2: The parents point of the philosophy statement. 39 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: I mean, how. 40 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:10,200 Speaker 2: Important is that? 41 00:02:11,800 --> 00:02:14,359 Speaker 1: Well, I just tell you I was in a government 42 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 1: when that was put in place, and that's exactly why 43 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:22,080 Speaker 1: the Ministry for Regulation is going through the season requirements 44 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:26,000 Speaker 1: for running an EEE and their basic writing instructions are 45 00:02:26,400 --> 00:02:29,760 Speaker 1: if it's not helping keep children safe and keep them growing, 46 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:32,760 Speaker 1: so they're ready for primary school, then maybe we don't 47 00:02:32,800 --> 00:02:33,120 Speaker 1: need it. 48 00:02:33,200 --> 00:02:35,720 Speaker 2: David. We've been told that one of the violations that 49 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,360 Speaker 2: the Ministry had originally listed was that the kids needed 50 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:40,280 Speaker 2: to ask permission before they could go to the toilet, 51 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 2: and the Ministry of Education said that didn't give the 52 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 2: kids enough agency. Is that true? 53 00:02:46,880 --> 00:02:50,560 Speaker 1: Well, I've been advised that that is suddenly one of 54 00:02:50,600 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 1: the issues that has been raised by the Ministry. I 55 00:02:53,480 --> 00:02:55,760 Speaker 1: think I've got to leave it up to them in 56 00:02:55,800 --> 00:02:59,680 Speaker 1: any court action that may come to decide the merits 57 00:02:59,680 --> 00:03:05,000 Speaker 1: of that. But certainly I remember going to school, and 58 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 1: actually I got a letter from one of my old 59 00:03:08,639 --> 00:03:12,840 Speaker 1: kindy teachers this week at work, actually, and I certainly 60 00:03:12,880 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 1: remember having to ask to go to the toilet. And 61 00:03:15,320 --> 00:03:17,120 Speaker 1: I know that people have mixed views, but I think 62 00:03:17,160 --> 00:03:18,120 Speaker 1: I turned out just fine. 63 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:21,560 Speaker 2: You've almost got too much agency. Some would say, listen, 64 00:03:21,680 --> 00:03:23,480 Speaker 2: do you need I mean, if this is the kind 65 00:03:23,520 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 2: of nonsense that the Ministry of Education is getting up to, 66 00:03:26,360 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 2: do you think actually that decisions like this should be 67 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:31,200 Speaker 2: taken out of the Ministry's purview and put with the minister. 68 00:03:33,280 --> 00:03:36,400 Speaker 1: Well, it is real interesting. I mean, I just look 69 00:03:36,440 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 1: at all the elections going on and people getting pretty 70 00:03:39,640 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 1: disillusioned with the candidates they have to vote for. And 71 00:03:42,920 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 1: it's not just in France and America and Britain, it's 72 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: in the local councils here. One of the trends I 73 00:03:48,440 --> 00:03:51,600 Speaker 1: notice is that often the people you can vote for 74 00:03:51,720 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: don't actually have a huge amount of power to make 75 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: the decisions. And I think sometimes it's actually better if 76 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:00,720 Speaker 1: someone in my position doesn't have to come on the 77 00:04:00,800 --> 00:04:03,080 Speaker 1: radio and say, Look, to be honest, it's the secretary's 78 00:04:03,120 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 1: decision for the courts, I can't really say much. It 79 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:10,080 Speaker 1: should actually have the power to make these decisions and 80 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:12,240 Speaker 1: be accountable. You know, if you don't like me, vote 81 00:04:12,240 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 1: me up. That's how it works cool, rather than having 82 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 1: someone who's not subject to that making all the call. 83 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: So yep, that's certainly something we're looking in to. 84 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:22,480 Speaker 2: Oh, thank god, David, Thank you very much. Appreciate it. 85 00:04:22,520 --> 00:04:26,880 Speaker 2: David Cmore, Associated Education Minister. For more from Hither Duplessy 86 00:04:26,960 --> 00:04:29,159 Speaker 2: Allen Drive, listen live to news talks. 87 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:32,360 Speaker 1: It'd be from four pm weekdays, or follow the podcast 88 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:33,400 Speaker 1: on iHeartRadio.