Here we go, again. Charter Schools 2.0. All 50 of them this time. The aim? To try something different because the current approach is a disaster. A high proportion of our teenagers are failing NCEA literacy and numeracy tests.
That’s internationally embarrassing. Domestically, it’s a huge concern because these are tomorrow’s workers – and creative thinkers, problem-solvers and innovators. So $153m (out of a total education budget of about $21 billion) is set aside for Act leader David Seymour’s proposed charter schools – to fund 15 new schools and as many as 35 state schools that could convert to charter ones.
And why not? We need to try something to help our youngsters achieve, or at least like school enough not to wag.
Sure, it’s bigger than the 2011 model introduced under a confidence and supply agreement between National and Act, but it’s still a tiny dot on the education landscape. Nevertheless, cue the unions and you get full-noise push back against what they call the privatisation of education.
If only the union hacks would open their minds for a few moments to see if anyone else might know something about educating our kids and getting better results. Do they really know best? Do they have a monopoly on the best ideas - and how has that played out? Why can’t they sit in the same room as people who run private educational institutes and find something in common?
Charter schools will operate without the straitjacket of the state system, which right now appears to be confused over what it’s doing and how it’s doing it. What we do know is our teens are falling down the scale when it comes to literacy and numeracy. The world is rushing past us, and that worries me.
Charter schools might be the second or last chance school for a student who doesn’t fit into the state system. A new school for the battler. A chance to turn their life around. A relief for the parents.
Charter schools do make their own rules, teach things their way and focus on particular subjects that matter to them. Teachers don’t need to be registered, but knowledge comes in many forms, as do teaching and learning. Unions might just hate that independent thought.
The results from the 2011-18 charter schools phase were hard to officially come by. The Education Ministry concluded there were a few gains and a few losses but nothing remarkable or of note. That report was written for an incoming Labour-led government and made it easier to scrap the schools, which it did within hours of taking office.
So, I went and found an Education Review Office report into Vanguard School, which really impressed me when I attended a graduation alongside then Prime Minister Bill English. He was visibly moved by the stories he heard that day. This is how the ERO described Vanguard, a newly formed charter school with military links:
The school was established primarily for students who require a second chance at education. It has a proven history in supporting many of these students to attain life skills and qualifications that offer them opportunities in their future careers and/or education.
Data from National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) show that the school continues to support most students to gain NCEA qualifications. Generally, Vanguard Military School’s achievement is higher than national achievement, in particular in comparison for Māori, Pacific and NZ European recruits.
Leaders and staff have high, yet realistic expectations for student success at and beyond the school. Their belief in recruits’ potential, both academically and physically, is helping recruits to gain self-esteem, belief in themselves, and motivation to strive for their goals. The school’s curriculum and organisational processes support recruits to develop self-management skills and accountability for themselves, alongside respect and empathy for others.
All staff use deliberate, instructional teaching practice to support accelerated progress, particularly in literacy and numeracy, so recruits can achieve at NCEA levels. This consistent approach enables recruits to be familiar with expectations and procedures across the curriculum. Core to the school’s designated character is the training of recruits by staff who have a military background.
Recruits benefit from the school’s concerted efforts to enable their success. They appreciate the strong sense of whānau/family among their peers and staff, as they support each other to succeed. The EBOT [Establishment Board of Trustees], leaders and staff successfully minimise barriers to recruits enrolling and engaging in the school. Staff regularly communicate with parents about ways to support their child’s progress and engagement. Annual surveys continue to indicate that recruits feel their wellbeing is supported at the school.
One of the first to set up a charter school was the Manukau Urban Māori Authority under Willie Jackson, in 2015. He established Te Kura Māori o Waatea at Ngā Whare Waatea Marae, in Mangere. I visited the school, by Māori for Māori. It was doing well.
By 2017, Jackson was a Labour MP, and the incoming Labour government scrapped charter schools. He quietly went along with it, although Waatea School continues as a state-integrated school. The mind boggles but it must be hard being Willie Jackson some days. So, charter schools. Yes or no, Willie?
