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Thank you Mayor Wallace for your kind introduction; and thank you also Dr Caroline Seelig, I am very pleased to be able to join you for the launch of the Hutt Valley Primary Science Education Network.

I congratulate Open Polytechnic and Hutt City Council on their contribution to nurturing science in schools. 

I know all of you here today will agree with me when I say we cannot underestimate how important science and innovation will be for the future of New Zealand.

Talofa lava, Kia orana, Mālō e lelei, Ni sa bula vinaka, Taloha ni, Fakaalofa lahi atu, and greetings to you all.

Welcome everyone to the New Zealand Early Childhood Education and Care conference, organised in cooperation with the OECD.

I wish to extend a warm welcome, in particular, to all the OECD representatives and partner countries who have travelled a long way to be here today - it is a great pleasure to welcome you to New Zealand.

I’m delighted to be here and to give some opening comments to this conference.

Five years ago New Zealanders overwhelmingly voted National into Government.

The National-led Government immediately set about implementing its plans, and we have made steady progress to help deliver more jobs and higher incomes for New Zealanders.

We were also determined to focus on education; which we felt had been neglected for too long.

We found quite a bit that needed attention.

Thank you for being here for this announcement of the largest ever investment in education infrastructure in greater Christchurch, and perhaps the single biggest in our country’s history.

I would like to start by thanking the Christchurch communities, parents, children, teachers, principals, and wider school communities who provided feedback on the Government’s Education Renewal Plans for greater Christchurch.

It was clear everyone had, and has, the best interests of children at heart.

Introduction:

Significant developments in technology, a global recession and the move to a global economy have meant that our students need to be highly skilled to gain access to better jobs, better incomes, and better life opportunities.

Knowledge, qualifications and skills are the key that opens the door to these opportunities.

Like many developed countries, our education system has well-established and well-understood pathways for progression to degrees and academic achievement.

Tēnā koutou katoa, Kia orana, Taloha ni, Fakaalofa lahi atu, Talofa lava, Mālō e lelei, Ni sa bula vinaka, and greetings to you all.

Thank you for inviting me to be part of this feast of education expertise.

Tēnā koutou katoa and greetings to you all.

I’m really pleased to be able to join you all again at your annual conference.

I’d like to thank your President Maria Johnson, and Chief Executive Peter Reynolds for their welcome.

I would like to start by thanking you all for the work you do.

Children are our most important investment.  The work you do in nurturing their development represents an invaluable contribution to New Zealand’s future wealth, health and happiness.

Mr Speaker, we are joined today in the House by a number of special guests, the delegates attending the inaugural Pacific Parliamentary and Political Leaders’ Forum. I would like to extend a very warm Aotearoa New Zealand welcome to each of them.

In particular, I welcome the Pacific Ministers here with us today. With your busy schedules and various domestic pressures, it’s a great honour for New Zealand to host you, as your cousins in the Pacific.

Tēnā koutou katoa, Talofa lava, Kia orana, Mālō e lelei, Ni sa bula vinaka, Taloha ni, Fakaalofa lahi atu, and greetings to you all.

Good morning everyone.

He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata
What is the most important thing in the world?

People, people, people...... babies, infants, toddlers, our youngest learners, who will grow up to be our school students, go on to be interns, apprentices, trainees, scholars, our young adults, parents, leaders.

Tēnā koutou katoa, Talofa lava, Kia orana, Mālō e lelei, Ni sa bula vinaka, Taloha ni, Fakaalofa lahi atu, and greetings to you all.

Good morning everyone.

Thanks for inviting me to be a part of your conference again this year.

As principals, you have a vital role to play as leaders of our education sector, and I’d like to thank you all for your hard work and dedication.

• I’m here today to talk about our education plan. Education is a subject that’s dear to my heart and head - and indeed yours, as future employers and business associates of the generation of young New Zealanders who are coming through our education system today.

• I’ve been around the education sector for many years and as you know I have been the Education Minister for five months. I’m passionate about education and what a good education can do for our young people.