MP for Rimutaka
Education Spokesperson

MEDIA STATEMENT

7 April 2016

Labour Bill to abolish charter school model

Charter schools have been a costly experiment that has distracted attention and diverted resources away from the vast majority of Kiwi kids attending public schools, Labour’s Education spokesperson Chris Hipkins says.

“Today my Members Bill to abolish the charter school model has been drawn from the ballot. I welcome this opportunity to debate the issues.

“The charter school model was cooked up as part of the ‘cup of tea’ deal between National and ACT. It has been based on ideology rather than what is best for kids’ education.

“Charter schools are exempt from accountability such as the Official Information Act and from quality controls like the requirement for teachers to be registered and to teach the curriculum.

“Despite receiving up to five times the funding public schools get, charter schools have failed to produce any great innovations that state schools couldn’t produce with the same funding. In fact, one of the schools has been such a failure it was closed within two years.

“Charter schools don’t have a place in the current system. This Bill will establish a transition period for the schools to apply for different status in the system and for families to make different arrangements if needed.

“It’s time to put education first and end this experiment,” says Chris Hipkins.

ends

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