The Government is being accused of trying to hoodwink voters by bringing in education changes under the guise of a support agreement with ACT.
Labour's education spokeswoman Sue Moroney says the National Party was working on the charter schools system before the election but did not tell anyone.
"News that the confidence and supply agreement between ACT and National includes plans to push on with a trial charter school system will come as a shock to most Kiwi parents," she says.
"The ink is barely dry on the voting papers and National is already trying to hoodwink New Zealanders."
Prime Minister John Key and ACT's sole MP John Banks signed their support agreement yesterday.
It includes a trial of charter schools in disadvantaged areas where community and ethnic groups will run state-funded schools.
Boards of trustees will set their own teaching practices, decide the length of the school day and year, and pay teachers on performance.
Similar systems are in place in the United States and Britain.
The theory behind the scheme is that charter schools can develop teaching methods most suited to overcoming entrenched under-achievement.
But Ms Moroney says it was tried in Sweden and was blamed for declining achievement.
"There's no way the ACT Party, on one percent of the vote and with just one MP, could have forced National to substantially change our world-class education system," she says.
"That's simply nonsense - National is implementing failed education policies copied from overseas."
NZN