The Education and Workforce Select Committee in Parliament is discussing a bill to bring back publicly-funded private schools, known as charter schools. The Council of Trade Unions (CTU) claims that this legislation will violate labor, human rights, and trade agreements. Erin Polaczuk from CTU mentioned that a recent change in the bill would prevent charter school staff from joining collective agreements, which could go against international labor rules.
Polaczuk also said that the Ministry of Education warned that the bill might conflict with free trade agreements with the UK and EU. It could force state school teachers to work for charter schools, which the Ministry believes could violate labor agreements and rights under the Bill of Rights Act. A legal advice note about this issue was later removed from the regulatory impact statement for being legally privileged.
Chief Ombudsman Peter Boshier told the committee that excluding charter schools from the Official Information Act (OIA) would reduce their accountability to students, parents, and taxpayers. He argued that all schools using public funds should be transparent and that families deserve equal access to information.
Former charter school head Alwyn Poole supported Boshier’s view and planned to apply for four charter schools. He dismissed claims that charter school teachers earn less than state school teachers.
The Association for Research in Education argued that charter schools are not necessary. Spokeswoman Bronwyn Wood noted that schools in New Zealand already have a lot of freedom and that more school choices would mostly benefit wealthier families, increasing inequality. She stated that similar school systems in Sweden failed after 30 years.
Teacher Ann Kendon expressed concern about spending money on a school type not needed in New Zealand. She doubted that charter schools would provide better results than state schools. Her colleague, Philip Kendon, noted that the state school system promotes teacher collaboration, which helps improve education. He said that while the state system could be better, it already works well and there’s no need for charter schools.
Both teachers urged the committee to listen to education experts who have dedicated their lives to teaching in public schools. They asked not to proceed with the charter school proposal.
