14 August 2015

Good money after bad for failed experiment

The National government are throwing good money after bad with their decision to pump even more funding into their failed charter school experiment, Labour’s Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins says.

“There are already major problems with several of the first charter schools that haven’t been addressed. Why on earth plough ahead with opening more schools when there have been so many problems with the ones already operating?

“This is another broken promise from Hekia. she told Parliament there would be no new charter school rounds this year.

“Her hypocrisy knows no bounds .Just this week she took steps to close Turakina Māori Girls’ College, justifying it as having a falling roll and financial difficulties, the same problems charter schools have been having which she continues to prop up.

“The whole charter school process has been flawed from day one. Their establishment has been rushed, the due diligence that would normally happen before a new school is opened hasn’t been completed, and major problems have inevitably followed.

“If pumping money into schools where drug use is rife, absenteeism high, bullying and high staff turnover common place and student withdrawals all too common is Hekia Parata’s idea of addressing underachievement then she is seriously deluded.

“Minor tweaks to the funding model won’t address the real issues here. The whole charter school concept is deeply flawed.

“Labour has been very clear. We will direct any additional funding towards programmes that address underachievement in our existing public school system. Throwing money at low quality, hurriedly established, experimental charter schools has to stop,” Chris Hipkins says

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