New charter schools to fragment and weaken public education

11 July 2017

Today’s Government announcement of two more charter schools does nothing to help the majority of Māori students learn, and could work to fragment and weaken the public school system.

Laures Park, NZEI Te Riu Roa Matua Takawaenga, said it was cynical to couch charter schools as some sort of educational solution for Māori when 85% of Māori children were in mainstream schools, with many others in kura kaupapa.

“I have no doubt that the people in the organisations behind these charter schools have nothing but the best intentions for the welfare and future of their tamariki.

“But the fact is, more than 85 percent of Māori tamariki go to mainstream public schools. It's a cop out for the Government to present charter schools as a solution for Māori, while failing to adequately resource the schools that the vast majority of Māori attend.

"Māori and Pasifika children will continue to be let down by governments until politicians from all parties sit down with the educational experts and agree to do what's needed to improve education for all our tamariki.

"The solution for Māori is in a strong public education system, including resourcing the overcrowded Rotorua kura kaupapa that will now be competing with a cashed-up charter school,” said Ms Park.

© Scoop Media