The Minister of Education has indicated that secondary schools in Whangarei will never co-operate with Northland's two partnership schools due to a tough stance from the teachers' union.
Ms Parata said she was disappointed that the Post-Primary Teachers' Association (PPTA) refused to budge on its policy that no union members will work with students or teachers of partnership schools.
"I'm pretty unimpressed with PPTA's actions voting against relationships with these schools and excluding students who otherwise might have needed access," she said.
She described the PPTA's policy as "effectively boycott action."
The PPTA believes the new partnership schools would cost mainstream teaching jobs, as rolls would drop when children move to the new schools, and are therefore banning any professional interaction between their members and the schools.
A Memorandum of Understanding written by the Ministry of Education is before the Boards of Trustees at secondary schools in Whangarei, with the hope that it will formalise a working relationship between the schools.
Whangarei Boys' High School Board of Trustees chairman Tim Robinson said he was currently in a consultation process with staff and hoped to have the issue resolved in their February meeting. Both kura have reached their required role of students to open this month. When asked whether she has visited or plans to visit the two kura in Northland Ms Parata said she tries to visit schools when she can but has no special plans to see the partnership schools.
"There are new schools opening all over New Zealand all the time," she said.
The kura will be deemed a success or a failure after six years, when the contracts will be up for renewal.