Schools will be refocused on serving Maori and Pasifika children and students with special needs in a major shakeup unveiled by the Government.
Terms of reference for a review of the 30-year-old competitive schooling system, announced by Education Minister Chris Hipkins, say schools' flexibility needs to be balanced by "every child's right to a responsive education at their local school".
A key item, in the five terms of reference for a proposed taskfoce is "the roles of governance, management and administration in schools and how they could better support equity and inclusion in the educational progress and outcomes for all children".
Hipkins said he would appoint a five-to-seven-person taskforce next month to review the competitive system known as "Tomorrow's Schools" after the title of a 1988 taskforce report led by Brian Picot, who was then chief executive of the supermarket company Progressive Enterprises.
"It will look at how we can better support equity and inclusion for all children throughout their schooling, what changes are needed to support their educational success, and at the fitness of our school system to equip all our students for a rapidly changing world," Hipkins said.