Hipkins Fails On Comprehension

Associate Education Minister John Banks today gave Labour’s Chris Hipkins an F for comprehension due to his poor understanding of the Government’s Partnership School draft contract.

“Mr Hipkins made a number of claims about Partnership Schools and got his facts wrong on every count,” Mr Banks said.

Claim: The Government is preparing to throw large sums of taxpayer cash at Partnership Schools even before legislation allowing for them has been passed into law.

Fact: No funding will be given until the contract is signed. No contract will be signed unless the legislation is passed. Partnership Schools will receive approximately the same funding as state schools - no more, no less.

Claim: Not only will Partnership Schools get money for setup costs, they will get property funding that their sponsors will be able to keep should the school fold.

Fact: Set up costs and property funding are not for property purchases. The set up and property funding for Partnership schools is the same as State schools.

Claim: Partnership schools will also get their hands on funding for additional student support that public schools don’t get to control.

Fact: Partnership Schools will not get any more funding than State schools. They will have greater flexibility in how they use their funding - that is the entire point of Partnership Schools. However, this is coupled with higher accountability for results.

Claim: Partnership schools are going to be funded as if they are a low decile school regardless of where their students actually come from.

Fact: Funding will be based on need and will depend on a number of factors such as year level, size and decile.

Claim: The Government has decided to ignore submitters’ concerns before the Select Committee has considered submissions.

Fact: Any changes made by the Select Committee can be incorporated into the final contracts agreed with sponsors if the legislation is passed.

“I give Mr Hipkins a ‘must try harder’ on his Partnership School efforts to date,” Mr Banks said.

ENDS

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