Parliament passes pathway to privatisation of public schools

The passing of the Education and Training Amendment Bill is a pathway to the privatisation of New Zealand’s public education system, says the largest education union in Aotearoa, NZEI Te Riu Roa.

The coalition government policy, passed today, Wednesday 25 September, allows public schools to be taken over and run by private operators as ‘charter schools’ while continuing to be funded by the taxpayer. It also allows the Minister of Education to force public schools to convert.

NZEI Te Riu Roa president Mark Potter urges communities to consider proposals to convert to private operation very carefully; once a school moves to private operation there is nothing in the legislation to allow a pathway back to becoming a public school.

Mr Potter says schools converting to private operation will not be required to have school boards.

“Our local public schools sit at the heart of their community. A school converting to private operation will lose the democratic community governance that has been a centrepiece of school and community connection for more than three decades. All those sausage sizzles and school fairs communities have worked hard on year after year raising funds for school equipment – gone into private control.”

Mr Potter says that ninety percent of submitters to the select committee opposed the charter school legislation. Much of the opposition focused on operations of public schools shifting to private control.

"Public schools that convert to private operation will not need to teach the New Zealand curriculum, follow guidelines and regulations required of state schools or have all teachers be qualified and registered."

“In addition to this, private operators of local schools will not need to give effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi, raising fears that Māori students in these schools will not have access to te reo or a curriculum that reflects tikanga Māori, mātauranga Māori, and te ao Māori.”