Chris Hipkins
Education Spokesperson

Charter school experiment turns into shambles

The National Government’s charter school experiment has descended into chaos and it’s time for Hekia Parata to stop trying to cover up the full extent of the problems, Labour’s Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins says.

“The Education Minister must release all of the information about charter schools she has been sitting on for months.

“These latest allegations that students are being bribed with fast food and trips to the beach follow revelations that another charter school was rife with drug use, absenteeism, bullying and high staff turnover. Another has stashed away millions of dollars in profits.

“Week after week, new problems with National’s experiment come to light, yet Hekia Parata continues to withhold large amounts of information she earlier promised would be made public.

“National claimed charter schools would be more accountable than state schools. That’s just rubbish.

“To top things off – and despite the major problems they’re facing with the existing schools –this year’s Budget allocated funding for two more to open.

“The charter schools experiment has been a spectacular failure. Time and money that should go into kids’ education is being wasted. It’s simply disgraceful,” Chris Hipkins says.

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