Lynne Pillay

Labour's Disability Issues spokesperson Lynne Pillay says it's time for Tertiary Education Minister Steven Joyce to clean up the mess Anne Tolley left around sign language education.

"We're in a shocking situation. In just two months we've seen funding support for tertiary students in Auckland and support for families of deaf children slashed, " Lynne Pillay said.

"Add to that the scrapping of the Training Incentive Allowance, and the opportunities for deaf students to participate in tertiary education are bleak.

"The National Government has recognised the chaos Anne Tolley has created and removed her from the role. But now it's time for Steven Joyce to clean up the mess Anne Tolley has left behind. "And there's more! Under National's cuts to Adult and Community Education, (ACE) schools offering night classes have dropped to around 10% of those in 2009 and the costs have tripled.

"This means the opportunity to learn sign language at night school is now almost non existent.

"Labour sent many warnings to Anne Tolley that this would happen, but she and her National colleagues ignored them.

"I am calling on Steven Joyce to fix this situation - to reinstate ACE funding and support for deaf students.

"It is appalling that having ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, that under National it is becoming almost impossible to learn sign language, New Zealand's third official language," Lynne Pillay said.