Unfortunate experiment to be unleashed on NZ children

14 May 2013

Immediate Release

Unfortunate experiment to be unleashed on NZ children

Teachers are warning against allowing New Zealand students to become part of the Government’s charter school experiment.

The legislation allowing for the setting up of charter schools is going through its second reading in Parliament today and looks set to pass into law next week.

NZEI Te Riu Roa National Secretary Paul Goulter says unfortunately it appears that the Maori Party will not back away from supporting the discredited charter school legislation.

He says this is a very sad time for New Zealand’s quality public education system – one which has been consistently performing near the top of the OECD.

“Overseas evidence shows that charter schools do not benefit children’s education and do nothing to lift education system performance.

“Charter schools are a discredited experiment in schooling being pursued through a discredited “teapot” coalition deal.

“At no time has the Act party leader John Banks been able to tell us how charter schools will help to lift educational achievement for struggling students.

“This is because charter schools are not about providing good quality education but about how to privatise our quality public education system.

“This legislation is the start of a new era of allowing unqualified and unregistered people to teach New Zealand children, with only limited accountability and no need to follow the National curriculum.

“This, combined with privatising our public education system, is a disaster for New Zealand children.”

ENDS

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