Why is Hipkins Hiding the Final Charter Schools Report?

ACT Leader David Seymour is questioning why Education Minister Chris Hipkins is suppressing the final Martin Jenkins evaluation of charter schools.

“I wonder if Mr Hipkins is not bullying Martin Jenkins into modifying the report to talk down the schools?”, asks Mr Seymour.

In 2014, the Ministry of Education contracted Martin Jenkins to deliver an independent evaluation of the performance of the charter school model. Its reports were to be delivered between 2014 and 2017.

"The first report found the flexibility of the model was enabling charter schools to deliver 'innovative educational provision for students who have been under-served by the education system.’

"In its second report, Martin Jenkins said charter schools were reaching priority students - those at higher risk of not achieving.

"The final report appears to have been completed, but not released. What does it contain? Why is Chris Hipkins hiding it? Is the Minister having the report altered to suppress glowing reviews about charter schools?

"A usually-reliable source suggests the final, secret report has found the following:

Charter schools are engaging disadvantaged kids, including kids that hadn’t even been attending school previously;

Attendance at charter schools is extremely high;

Charter schools build the self-esteem of students who attend them;

Charter schools have been outstandingly successful for Maori, with Maori pass rates in charter schools exceeding the New Zealand average;

The schools have used flexibility of funding and management structure to make innovative offerings to students, confirming earlier reports.

"Chris Hipkins can’t hide the report forever. At some point, New Zealanders are going to learn what 1500 students already know: charter schools change lives for the better”, says Mr Seymour.

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