Three charter schools have opened their doors today, as the Government says the first wave of new institutions will help give families more “meaningful educational choice”.
The three schools are Mastery Schools New Zealand – Arapaki; Te Rito, Te Kura Taiao; and Ecole Francaise Internationale Auckland.
Four other schools will open over the next seven days.
Associate Education Minister David Seymour said the first lessons would be getting underway at the three schools this morning.
“This is another significant step in the Government’s efforts to lift educational achievement in New Zealand,” he said in a media release.
“Charter schools provide educators with greater autonomy and create diversity in New Zealand’s education system.
“This announcement is a significant step in the Government’s efforts to lift educational achievement in NZ,” said the Associate Education Minister. (Source: 1News)
“They have been proven to raise overall educational achievement, especially for students who are underachieving or disengaged from the standard system.
“Every child deserves an education that gives them the opportunity to learn and grow in ways which are more specific to their needs.
“The seven charter schools which open over the next week are all fantastic examples of schools that give families and educators more meaningful educational choice and support.”
The remaining schools – Tipene, The Busy School, North West Creative Arts College and Christchurch North College – will open their doors between February 6 and 10.
Seymour said the first wave of schools would be “just the beginning”.
He said: “This is just the beginning. I hope to see many more new charter schools opening, and state and state-integrated schools converting to become charter schools.
NZEI president Mark Potter says the evidence suggests charter schools do not deliver on what they promise. (Source: Breakfast)
“The huge demand to open charter schools not only highlights the need, but also the commitment of people to provide varied educational opportunities for young New Zealanders to maximise educational outcomes.”
The Charter School Agency and an independent Authorisation Board processed 78 applications to open charter schools in the Government’s first round of the process.
North West College principal Michelle Randles and Tipene St Stephen’s School principal Nathan Matawhā Durie shared their hopes for the opening of their schools. (Source: Breakfast)
Tipene
Familiar to many as St Stephen’s School which closed in 2000, the refreshed Tipene charter school would open its doors to Year 9 and 10 students in 2025 and gradually phase in additional year groups.
The school would also open in 2025 as a fulltime boarding school for Māori and Pacific boys.
Tipene St Stephen’s School principal Nathan Matawhā Durie told Breakfast this was a “real opportunity” to do something more extensive through the 24-hour operation.
“We know lots about what doesn’t work in education, so we want to be able to change that. So flexibility provides us with some latitude in that respect to just have a go at doing some things different.”
He said the staff they had brought on board were “exciting”, saying they had found people with core skills required for this kind of school.
“In terms of bringing on people, first and foremost who care about this cohort and care about the aspirations of what we’re trying to attempt here.”
He said “we don’t want to reopen an old school”, and wanted to be relevant in what the needs and aspirations of students were moving forward.
“The kōhanga reo movement, the kura kaupapa reo movement are just examples for us to follow in behind in terms of our aspirations of mana Motuhake, the ability to be Māori and be proud of that.
“So they really paved the way for that and we are going to attempt to be a part of that group and follow in behind them to aspire and achieve.”
North West Creative Arts College
North West College Principal Michelle Randles told Breakfast she was feeling “”more excitement” than nerves.
“The most important thing I’ve been involved with the last few months is finding the right staff and making sure we have staff who have the same vision as us, and that’s great. We’ve got some excellent people walking through those doors.”
She said they had people who were “exciting, innovative, creative people who just want to make a difference” at the Creative Arts School.
“Our morning sessions are academic, so we have our reading, writing, English, maths and science and technology every morning, and then a really strong focus on the creative arts in the afternoons.
“And that allows students to choose their preferred creative arts and to focus on that to enable them to be really successful in their future employment.”
Randles said theirs would be a small school, which would have a maximum of around 280 students, which would provide opportunities that some larger schools could not.