By Ingrid Hipkiss
The Government's unveiled the rules for its new charter schools scheme, and the first sponsored schools are expected to open in 18 months.
Education Minister Hekia Parata says they will have to reach strict education standards, but they will be given unprecedented flexibility and won't have to employ registered teachers.
The teachers' union says that will be a disaster.
Charter schools were an election deal between National and ACT, and now they're being sold as the solution to failing students.
“We want to reach out and try something different, because we know that for four out of five we have a world class system, but for one out of five it is hopeless, it’s not working for them,” says Ms Parata.
What will work they say are schools that operate outside the state system, sponsored by entities like iwi, churches or businesses- or any group that can prove it's up to the job.
Ms Parata is interested to see what will happen.
“We'll be looking forward to the initiative, the innovation and imagination of sponsors out there as to what they think their concept might look like.”
The big difference between charter schools and any other is their flexibility.
Charters can choose their days and hours of operation, develop their own curriculum, and choose whether to be profit or non-profit.
But they'll have a contractual obligation to meet strict performance criteria.
ACT MP John Banks is excited about the initiative.
“This is going to be a world class development, with world class architecture and we'll hold them to world class accountability.”
That world class development doesn't have to include registered teachers. Mr Banks says for example, someone like decorated SAS soldier Willie Apiata would be a good fit.
“He might say ‘I’ll put my hand up, I’m a role model and I could do some really good things for the kids in the partnership schools in south east Auckland, I’ll come along two days a week’. [He’s] not a teacher but no one wouldn’t think that he would be great in front of these young people.”
The teachers' union, the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI), says it won't work.
“Here now is a Government announcement that is legitimising schools not having to have qualified teachers in front of children, we're astounded,” NZEI president Ian Leckie says.
But Ms Parata thinks charter schools could be a solution to education problems.
“We cannot continue to consign generations of children to not being successful because we're not prepared to be brave enough to offer another option.”
And the minister will have the final say about who gets to be part of that brave new world.
3 News