Funding of $153 million was provided in this year’s Budget for 15 new charter schools and for 35 state schools to convert in 2025 and 2026 — fulfilling a commitment in the ACT-National coalition agreement.
The Charter School Agency, which makes recommendations around whether a school should be approved or declined charter school status, preliminarily assessed the 78 applications and recommended about half should be declined.
I have known David Seymour for 10 years through my leadership of a private school in Epsom and as a co-founder of two charter schools judged highly successful by external evaluators.
We rarely agree and I have expressed concerns that I do not believe he has in-depthknowledge about the problems or solutions for education in New Zealand. This is most obvious with Māori, Pasifika and poorer students. He clearly understands the needs of Epsom. In that electorate educational achievement is rarely a problem.
Seymour is Associate Minister of Education. One role he has is to improve attendance. Last week, the data for term three of 2024 was released. Only 51.3% of students fully attended (9 days in 10). For Pasifika it was 39.5%, for Māori 37.5%. For high equity index schools (low decile) it was 35%.
Seymour has barely shifted the dial. His claim of improvement from 2023 ignores the likelihood that this is through being a year further on from Covid-19, as well as initiatives by schools. Education Minister Erica Stanford is working hard to improve the curriculum and teaching — an effort largely wasted if many students don’t attend regularly.
With huge opposition to his Treaty Principle Bill — particularly by Māori and schools with significant Māori populations — Seymour is now more likely to make the situation worse than better. His public edicts, including those during the hīkoi, appear authoritarian. To improve school attendance he is now the wrong person and should consider standing aside from this responsibility.
Leading into the last election I stated a return to charter schools is not the best option to help marginalised students. I advocated for a high-quality and accessible designated character school framework.
This was promised by Jacinda Ardern and Chris Hipkins but not delivered. I accepted Seymour disagreed, so moved forward with outstanding directors of a new charitable company, to apply for four charter schools. International research strongly supports multiple provision by a single entity.
Our schools would be ready to go for Term 1, 2025 and would have 900 students by Term 1 in 2026. Two of those schools would be in Auckland’s central city, where there are 57,000 households and not a single school. Another, in Epsom, would offer 240 places for neuro-diverse students not suited to their local schools.
I applied for this school three times under Hipkins. Seymour met with disaffected families and told them to “play the long game” until he was making decisions. We have property investors and teachers ready to go.
What has followed has been a bizarre process — significantly worse than 2013/14 and worse than the transition of charter schools to designated character schools in 2018 under Hipkins.
The Charter School Agency was formed under the Ministry of Education. The agency needed a rally-style driver to bring innovation and energy, but in reality it has not gone well. Some applicants are raising concerns as to whether Government tender protocols have been followed, conflicts of interest created, applicants evenly treated, key selection criteria given to all, etc. At least six applicants have placed complaints. Some who may be awarded contracts also have deep concerns.
Applicants were told the new authorisation board would be independent and make approval decisions. The Charter School Agency insisted they would make “recommendations”. Some applicants received conflicting information from the board and agency.
While there are good people involved, in my opinion, the current board does not have the same depth of education experience as previously. Between themselves and the agency they have created a situation where the 15 schools Seymour tells us will open in Term 1 next year cannot be named yet. They will have two months to establish.
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has said around half of the 78 applications for Charter Schools are unlikely to be successful.
I have started six successful schools in my career and the directors I have well and truly add capability. After we insisted on the Charter School Agency following their “Stage 1″ criteria — all four of our applications went to the board (”Stage 2″). We were then not asked a single question and, unlike many other applicants, did not have the opportunity to present in an interview and hear the undisclosed criteria. At the final stage of the process — where we most certainly did not demand “four or nothing” — we were not offered a single contract.
Many other applicants — successful and unsuccessful — have expressed to us incredulity regarding the current outcomes. We have also received support from senior Act Party people.
Seymour’s response has been, “Not everyone can be a winner”. When a formal complaint was lodged with him during the process he did not address a single issue that was raised.
He told Newstalk ZB there was only funding for 15 schools. It is, in fact, 50 and the agency clearly stated that the ratio between new and converting state schools is not fixed. Few state schools appear interested in becoming charter schools and none of the previous charters have returned — preferring the designated character model.
Charter schools were not well embedded between 2013 and 2017. To survive and thrive they need to be this time.
Seymour’s next six months will be consumed by the Treaty Principles Bill and, for the following 18 months, he will be Deputy Prime Minister.
He should consider handing over the education responsibility to someone with greater knowledge in the problem areas as well as the attention and energy to create the deeply needed success of the model.
