Rotorua Daily Post
  • Rotorua Daily Post home
  • Latest news
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Sport
  • Video
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
    • All Lifestyle
    • Residential property listings
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology
  • Rural
  • Sport

Locations

  • Tauranga
  • Te Puke
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō & Tūrangi

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales

Weather

  • Rotorua
  • Tauranga
  • Whakatāne
  • Tokoroa
  • Taupō

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Rotorua Daily Post

Opinion: Charter schools should be a choice for parents

Merepeka Raukawa-Tait
By Merepeka Raukawa-Tait
Rotorua Daily Post·
11 Jul, 2018 03:48 PM4 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Protesters rally in support of charter schools. Photo / File

Protesters rally in support of charter schools. Photo / File

I'm not one of those people who think Act MP David Seymour is a complete dick.

He said people have written to him since appearing on Dancing with the Stars saying things like "I used to think you were a complete dick but now I think you're okay".

I guess people only see what they want to see. When they see the human side to a person they can have a change of heart.

He took himself right out of his comfort zone and went hard on the TV show to raise money for his special charity Kidsline. Pretty damn brave if you ask me.

He has always struck me as someone who knows government policy, better than most sitting in the Beehive I would suggest.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

When you're a one-man band you have to be well informed. I first heard David Seymour speak at Nga Whare Waatea Marae in Mangere at the opening of their charter school.

Also referred to as Partnership Schools and Kura Hourua.

They were promoted by Act and introduced by the National Government as part of their coalition arrangement.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Opposition to their establishment started early, I presume it was felt they would be the start of public asset privatisation. An imported idea that would threaten New Zealand's education system.

David Seymour explained at the opening that charter schools were public schools of choice. Families choose them for their children.

He said they had the potential to turn around the low educational achievements of young students already labelled and consigned to the "too hard basket".

I came away from the opening thinking if there are members of a community who believe their children will be better served by a school that specifically addresses their educational needs than the current one on offer, then they should be supported in establishing such a school.

Discover more

Opinion: Bring on longer days

21 Jun 04:00 PM

Time to leave Jacinda and family alone

24 Jun 05:36 PM

Opinion: Myths and legends much more than that

09 Jul 03:00 PM

Opinion: Teachers' strike action questionable

04 Jul 05:00 PM

I think everyone present was impressed by the intent of charter schools, their potential and that Act MP David Seymour was prepared to promote and back them along with the National Government.

The majority of New Zealand parents are probably happy with the current education system and the educational outcomes for their children.

An increasing number of Maori and Pasifika families are not. They know charter schools were established to focus on priority learners: Maori, Pasifika, students from low socio-economic backgrounds and learners with special education needs.

And they have seen the spectacular success of the schools so far. Most are performing well above national averages and some are above the rest of the country, in particular in results for Maori students.

Attendance is high. I suspect this is why the Government is doing away with them. Our current education system can't afford to be shown up.

But is it? If it suits the majority, all good and well. Charter schools are designed to be different so their outcomes will be different.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

The Education Amendment Bill, introduced in February this year, will remove the opportunity that allows new charter schools to be established.

Current schools will see out their contracts this year.

Act, along with parents and many Maori and Pasifika community leaders, are bitterly disappointed.

They believe parents should be able to choose a school for their children that suits their needs and has community involvement and support for the outcomes.

I wish all schools in New Zealand had community involvement and support for educational outcomes.

They don't. That's where charter schools are different.

Since inception they have been part of our current education system but families choose them for their children.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Sometimes that's the first time a family has had the chance to make a considered choice about their child's education.

I am told by the principal of a charter school they are accountable for academic results and for upholding the promises made in their charter.

Who has been held accountable for the abysmal academic results of Maori and Pasifika children over the past decades?

For the students, the priority learners, charter schools are successful. That's why Māori leaders in particular are not happy.

Sir Toby Curtis, a member of the Partnership Schools Authorisation Board, is spot-on when he said recently, "This Government has decided to do things 'for' us, rather than let Māori do things for ourselves. I've seen this happen countless times. I've watched billions being spent on government and NGO initiatives designed to fix our problems. But things keep getting worse."

History repeating itself once again. At the expense of priority learners, those who can least afford it.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Daily Post

Pene bags season-best performance at mountain biking World Cup

13 Jul 04:37 AM
Rotorua Daily Post

'Palpable grief': Motorcyclist who killed two people had 11 previous driving convictions

12 Jul 11:00 PM
Rotorua Daily Post

Rotorua Barn house has shrine to Harry Potter under the stairs

12 Jul 07:10 PM

From early mornings to easy living

sponsored
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Rotorua Daily Post

Pene bags season-best performance at mountain biking World Cup

Pene bags season-best performance at mountain biking World Cup

13 Jul 04:37 AM

A Rotorua downhill rider clocks the fastest speed of the round-six final for an 8th place.

'Palpable grief': Motorcyclist who killed two people had 11 previous driving convictions

'Palpable grief': Motorcyclist who killed two people had 11 previous driving convictions

12 Jul 11:00 PM
Rotorua Barn house has shrine to Harry Potter under the stairs

Rotorua Barn house has shrine to Harry Potter under the stairs

12 Jul 07:10 PM
No more 'hunting hui': Māori educators launch association to curb feelings of isolation

No more 'hunting hui': Māori educators launch association to curb feelings of isolation

12 Jul 06:00 PM
Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Rotorua Daily Post e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Rotorua Daily Post
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP