Partnership Schools: The Path to Quality Education

November 11, 2014

This is the second issue of what will be a regular newsletter, commenting on and reacting to political and other issues. On this occasion, the topic is the ongoing journey that Partnership Schools face as they improve standards and face political opposition. Last week's newsletter, on social housing, can be read here: http://www.act.org.nz/posts/newsletter-stocks-and-flows

You may find this recent newspaper article on Partnership Schools of interest.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/10716336/Charter-schools-claim-early-success

I did, and for this simple reason.

The article fairly presents the difficulties some schools are having in this early establishment phase. As common-sense would suggest, and as recent research shows, the average quality of schools improves over time (e.g. see the US National Bureau of Economic Research: The Evolution of Charter School Quality). Rome was not built in a day.

The article also fairly presents some of the undoubted successes so far in New Zealand.

For many students these schools are proving truly transformative, turning around lives, rescuing them. It is profoundly moving to read of this, even more so to be privileged – as I have – to witness it.

In my Maiden speech in Parliament I mentioned a visit to one of these schools where, as I chatted to the students about their experiences in other schools compared with their experiences at their new Partnership School, one young girl said “I didn’t know I was smart until I came here”.

Who could fail to be affected by that?

Now, consider these accounts of lives being transformed, and weigh that enormous positive against some of the negative comments in this article and elsewhere by opponents of these new schools. For opponents to describe Partnership Schools as part of an “ideological drive to disestablish public education” is not just wrong, it’s childish and daft. Most of our public schools provide excellent educational opportunities - just not to all children.

I am sure these opponents are good people, committed educators, but some of their attitudes are appalling.

Fancy giving parents options; giving them choices which might dramatically improve their children’s chances in life. We should be doing everything possible to facilitate this, not block it.

The opposition to Partnership Schools reflects politics and ideology. Opposition political parties would close down these schools no matter how good they might be. And just tough luck for the kids caught in the crossfire of politics.

That can reasonably be described as an extreme ideological view, one that is hard to defend on any moral or fair-minded basis.

Would those politicians be prepared to visit these schools, and tell the children and their parents, face-to-face, that they intend to close the school? And tell them why.

ends

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