Some state schools could convert to charter school status later this year, the head of the Charter Schools Agency says.
Seven of the publicly-funded private schools are opening this term.
The coalition Government has set aside $153 million for 15 new charter schools and the conversion of 35 state schools for 2025 and 2026. However, there are questions about the effectiveness of charter schools, and concerns over how they’ll be monitored and how student achievement will be measured.
Charter Schools Agency chief executive Jane Lee told RNZ’s Nine to Noon that more schools were in the pipeline.
“We have a number in the pipeline, and I can’t discuss that number because of the sensitivity around contracting … but some new and a number of converting schools,” Lee said.
The privately run and publicly funded academies were introduced by the coalition Government. (Source: 1News)
Interest in converting was coming from state schools and schools that had previously been charter or partnership schools but had become special character or integrated state schools when the model was abolished after a change of government in 2018.
Lee said the schools were created to provide more choice and opportunity for students to learn differently.
“Most of those schools did really well and are continuing in the state system to be doing really well.
“What does that look like? It’s increased innovation; different approaches to teaching; it’s improved outcomes for students; it’s increased accountability for sponsors to demonstrate they’re improving outcomes for learners,” she said.
NZEI president Mark Potter says the evidence suggests charter schools do not deliver on what they promise. (Source: Breakfast)
Post Primary Teachers’ Association president Chris Abercrombie told Nine to Noon he did not expect many state schools would try to become charter schools.
“We know that there’s a lot of fish hooks in this system. It is effectively bulk funding and we know, over time, bulk funding is less valuable to a school. At the start, it looks great but, as costs go up, your money doesn’t go up and so it ends up becoming harder and harder,” he said.
“We know our principals, we know our schools — we don’t think many schools will be interested in this.”
Abercrombie said the union objected to charter schools because they took funding away from state schools.
“It’s literally taking money out of Budget Education. It’s taking $153 million away from the state sector education system where the vast majority of our young people are, and it’s limiting opportunities for them with lack of resource,” he said.
“We would love to have two teacher aides in every classroom – as one of the schools is doing – in every state school. But we can’t do that because we don’t have the resource.
“Everything that the charter schools are doing we can do in the state sector. We have the most devolved education system in the world and it just needs to be funded and supported properly.”
rnz.co.nz