Charter schools in New Zealand
The schools were operated by sponsors such as Māori iwi, not-for-profit organisations, businesses or existing education providers.
[1] Charter schools were legalised after an agreement between the National Party and their confidence and supply partner ACT New Zealand following the 2011 general election.
[2] The charter school model was heavily criticized by a wide range of educational authorities, teacher organizations, the general public and political parties who vowed to overturn it.
[3][4][5] Opposition to charter schools formed part of the Labour Party's education policy in the 2014 and 2017 general elections.
[6][7] In late October 2017, the newly formed Labour-led coalition government announced that it would be abolishing charter schools.
Teaching unions supported the new Government's decision, while charter schools and the opposition National and ACT parties opposed the announcement.
[14] On November 24 2023, the newly formed National/ACT/NZ First coalition government made a pledge to reinstate charter schools in New Zealand, marking a shift in education policy direction.
John Banks, the ACT leader, was made an associate minister of education and given responsibility for leading the work related to the development of potential charter schools.
The plan was heavily criticised by the opposition Labour and Green parties, and the main teachers' professional associations—the NZEI and the PPTA.
Most of the opposition was over the idea of unregistered and untrained teachers having direct contact with students, and the lack of accountability through the Ombudsman and the Official Information Act.
[2] The bill was referred to the Education and Science select committee for closer scrutiny and public submissions, with the committee reporting back in April 2013 that the bill should proceed with amendments, including a change so that charter schools would be subject to Ombudsman scrutiny on matters relating to suspensions and expulsions (other than the Ombudsman, the only other way to appeal a suspension or expulsion is through the court system).
In September 2012, Minister of Education Hekia Parata announced that many schools in Christchurch would be closed or amalgamated, largely due to population changes and damaged facilities following the February 2011 earthquake.
However, parents, teachers and students protested at the changes for going too far, and feared that the closures were being used as an excuse to start charter schools.
[38] In May 2013, the PPTA published in its staff newsletter a list of 21 parties it believed were interested in the charter school programme, which included a high proportion of religious groups.
[42][43] In October 2015, the Ministry acknowledged that charter schools had been over-funded an extra $888,000 more than they would have been allocated had their funding been strictly based on their enrolments.
[45][46] In August 2016, Seymour announced that two new Māori-oriented charter schools would be opening in Hamilton and Napier by 2017, adding to the eight that were already operating.
[47] In May 2017, the consultancy firm Martin Jenkins published an independent report on behalf of the Ministry of Education praising most of the country's eight charter schools for helping Māori, Pacific Islander, and disadvantaged children.
[10][51] The National Party's education spokesperson Nikki Kaye asked the Auditor-General to investigate potential conflicts of interest in the process of closing charter schools.
[52] On 11 February 2018, ACT leader David Seymour led a 150-strong protest in Central Auckland criticizing the Government's decision.
[53][54] Māori educators Sir Toby Curtis and Dame Iritana Tawhiwhirangi lodged a claim with the Waitangi Tribunal, arguing there was a lack of Māori inclusion in the decision to redesignate charter schools, and that lack of consultation breached the Crown's obligations under the Treaty of Waitangi.
The announcement was welcomed by Education Minister Hipkins but received a bitter-sweet response from charter school advocates and the opposition National and ACT parties.
The Board is headed by St Cuthbert's College principal Justine Mahon, with other members including Glen Denham, John Fiso, Dr Nina Hood, Neil Paviour-Smith, Rōpata Taylor, Doran Wyatt and Professor Elizabeth Rata.
[60] Labour's education spokesperson Jan Tinetti, Green education spokesperson Lawrence Xu-Nan, the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) and the Post Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA), objected to the Government's charter school plans on the grounds that they would divert funding from overwhelmed state schools, allegedly placed "profits over kids," disadvantaged children with behavioural issues and disabilities and that charter schools did not have to hire qualified teachers.
Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier expressed concern that charter schools would be excluded from the Official Information Act 1982.
