Charter schools undermine our education system – Labour

The select committee process of the Education and Training Amendment Bill has shown charter schools will:

• Cost more per student, but not improve results
• Go against international trade obligations and labour laws
• Not have to employ registered teachers
• Not have to teach the New Zealand Curriculum
• Take away the ability for teachers to collectively bargain for better pay and conditions
• Not be transparent with no requirement like other schools to be subject to the Official Information Act.

“This Bill makes it clear charter schools promote a privatised, competitive education system that puts profits before kids,” Labour’s education spokesperson Jan Tinetti said.

“There are more examples of charter schools failing their students than there are success stories. Our public education system should serve every child and converting 35 state schools to be charter schools will take desperately needed resources from the state system.

“Under the last National-ACT model, charter schools received preferential funding and cost up to $48,421 per student annually – six times the average funding spent on students in state schools for no better educational outcomes.

“No reason has been offered as to why charter schools should be given a free ride and made exempt from the OIA. Being subject to the OIA ensures these schools are accountable to tax-payers for how that money is being used and for how well they are performing.

“David Seymour’s charter schools are driven by ideology rather than evidence and are a danger to our education system,” Jan Tinetti said.