NZ Principals’ Federation criticises charter school funding as ‘immoral’

The Charter School Agency received 71 expressions of interest. Photo / 123RF

Seventy-one groups have expressed interest in creating charter schools, but the agency handling submissions will not reveal if any are from Northland.

The Government revived charter schools as a way to make the country’s education system more flexible and responsive to students’ needs.

It allocated $153 million to bring back the schools. The funding would be spread over four years to establish 50 charter schools - 15 new and 35 converted from state schools.

A second round of applications to either open or convert existing schools to the charter model attracted 71 expressions of interest to the Charter School Agency. The latter was established by the coalition Government last year, and is ‘hosted’ by the Ministry of Education.

The New Zealand Principals’ Federation (NZPF) said it’s confident none of their members applied as they remain against charter schools, describing them as immoral and a drain on public schools.

The federation has come out firing against charter schools, saying they do not want the public schooling system privatised in New Zealand.

Liz Hawes, NZPF communications director and executive officer, believed financing charter schools again was “immoral” as there was a great need for learning support in state schools.

“Improve the public system. Don’t introduce charter schools. They do not complement the existing public system. They are a drain on it,” she claimed.

“The funding should be transferred to the public system to make it high quality and accessible to all.”

Hawes believed charter schools had the potential to undermine public schooling anywhere, including in Northland.

Northland currently has one charter school (Te Rito – Te Kura Taiao) in Cable Bay, which opened in January.

The school was among seven new charter schools to open under the new Government.

Associate Education Minister David Seymour has sung their praises, saying some deliver “new and innovative ways to help students who are struggling at school to succeed, especially neurodiverse students, where there is huge need”.

Charter School Agency chief executive Jane Lee said six of the 71 expressions of interest were to convert schools and the remainder for opening new schools.

When asked about applications from Northland, Lee said providing details on specific applications while the process was under way was inappropriate.

Chief executive for the Charter School Agency Jane Lee.

Lee said charter schools provided options and flexibility that helped meet the needs of students and their whānau.

“They complement, strengthen and diversify New Zealand’s education system and create new options in areas of the country where there may be fewer choices.”

Lee said charter schools had greater flexibility than state schools to innovate, design school structure, governance and curriculum.

“In exchange for greater flexibility, they are subject to a higher level of oversight and accountability.

“Charter schools are held to account for meeting these outcomes through a reporting regime that includes a self-audit report, an end of year report and an annual public report.”

Yolisa Tswanya is deputy news director at the Northern Advocate based in Whangārei.