New Zealand first introduced charter schools in 2008 under the John Key government, as part of the National Government’s confidence and supply agreement with ACT. The Labour-led Government, with the support of NZ First and the Greens, abolished charter schools in 2018.
A charter school is a school that receives government funding but operates independently of the established state school system. In the UK, 40 percent of primary schools and 80 percent of secondary schools are charter schools, Seymour said.
He said the charter schools can, with some restrictions, set their own curriculum, hours and days of operation, and governance structure. They also have greater flexibility in how they spend their funding as long as they reach the agreed performance outcomes.
“Charter schools provide educators with greater autonomy, create diversity in New Zealand’s education system, free educators from state and union interference, and raise overall educational achievement, especially for students who are underachieving or disengaged from the current system,” Seymour said.
“They provide more options for students, reinforcing the sector’s own admission that “one size” doesn’t fit all.”
Seymour said there has been overwhelming interest from educators who are exploring the charter model. He said potential applicants include TIPENE St Stephen’s Māori Boy’s Boarding School, and AGE School.
Sponsors will have a fixed-term contract of 10 years to operate a charter school, with two rights of renewal for 10 years each. All fixed-term periods are conditional on the school continuing to meet the terms of its contract.
Seymour said a new departmental agency, independent of the Ministry of Education, would be created to implement, operate and monitor the performance of charter schools.
The charter schools would largely be funded on a per student basis, and funding would be broadly equivalent to that for State schools with similar roles and characteristics.
“The unions will criticise charter schools because they will lose their membership fees and their grip on the sector, I say to them it’s time they put the students at the heart of education,” Seymour said.
“I hope and intend to see many new charter schools opening, and State and State-integrated schools converting to become charter schools. Every child deserves the opportunity to succeed, to achieve to the best of their ability, and to gain qualifications that will support them into further study and employment.”
Seymour hopes even more charter schools will be funded in the next Parliamentary term.