Seymour's Charter School Mess
David Seymour has made a complete joke of all of his Charter School promises.
This is what he has said:
“Seymour says he’s learnt much from his previous attempt to establish the charter model here, although most of the lessons were political rather than pedagogical. This time, he’s going big and going fast.
“There’s probably going to be a couple of hundred of these schools by the time Labour gets back into power. And it’s going to be big, powerful communities with lots of capital and lots of lawyers.
“It won’t be a small group of poor brown kids [no – they will be French] that Labour can shamefully and disgracefully ignore like they did last time. And the contract is going to be much tighter and harder to buy. They’re going to be 10 by 10 by 10. Thirty years, with break points every 10 years.”
He’s had 78 applications. Only 10 are from state schools, and while the list will not be made public, it’s a safe assumption some are former charters returning to the fold. He’s cautiously optimistic that more state schools will look to convert down the line.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/the-listener/new-zealand/schools-shake-up-what-some-find-terrifying-about-govt-plans-for-charter-schools/GDXNRNNWXVAJJLASBNXOPD4EXE/
So - the first one announced was a school for 50 children in Christchurch started by an Australian company with no experience in half the age group they are going to "deliver" to and no experience with Maori and Pasifika students
The next five - announced today – are comedy compared to Seymour's promises (and he will know that):
Christchurch North College recognises that some students face more obstacles to their learning than others. Christchurch North College aims to remove those obstacles by providing barrier free and individualised education.
The BUSY School NZ is focussed on at risk disengaged students. It will utilise an individualised vocational education which seeks to provide students with meaningful employment opportunities.
Te Rito, Te Kura Taiao will offer students and families from Kaitaia an option for educational immersion in reo Māori for children (mokopuna) at primary school level.
Ecole Francaise Internationale Auckland is a co-educational and bilingual school based in Auckland offering an authentic French education for families who wish to embrace the renowned French curriculum.
North West Creative Arts College is a co-educational creative arts college for students who may or may not be neuro diverse.
https://www.beehive.govt.nz/release/more-charter-schools-open-term-1-2025-announced
Note carefully: No State schools converting. None of the previous Charter Schools choosing to return. And … most definitely … no significant schools to challenge the failing Ministry of Education system. He has given in to the Ministry (CSA) and the teacher unions.
For all of the research I do, every year, into the NZ education system, I really didn’t know the missing factor was a small French school. Watch out PISA here we come.
Seymour was a small Bobcat in opposition but is a wee baby lamb as Associate Minister of Education and has been led down the smallest garden path by Jane Lee and the Charter School Agency (the Ministry).
What possible systemic difference will these schools make? We have, under his watch, 51.3% of students fully attending school – and only 35% of Maori. We have 62% of Asian students leaving school with UE and 17% of Maori. NCEA is in decline, staying at school until 17 is in decline, etc and those first 6 schools are Seymour’s (ACT’s) big thrust to change things.
On “X” last week – after being challenged by us – Seymour said that if Education 710+ (my company) waived their right to privacy (which we gave up at Select Committee anyway) he would release our proposals and “let the public decide). We immediately said yes and heard from the CSA and confirmed that. Seymour is now trying to back out of that and the CSA has gone to ground. I also offered to debate Seymour with a team of 3 each – he has not responded to that and I can see why.
Our proposed schools.
A Year 0 – 8 school in Auckland Central (where there are no schools for 57,000 households) for 240 students.
A year 11 – 13 in Auckland Central for Maori and Pasifika students with an exclusive University Entrance and transition to University approach for 360 students.
A Year 7 – 10 school in Epsom/Ellerslie school for 240 neuro-diverse students by a transport hub so that it can be accessed Auckland wide. We applied for this under Hipkins but Seymour promised our parent group to “play the long game” and wait until he was in power.
A Year 7 – 10 school in Warkworth where over 100 families have already sent in expressions of interest in a clear desire for an alternative.
We have huge support from families, huge investment support from property owners/investors, huge support from people like John Hattie, Mike King and Dame Wendy Pye, vast experience in starting 6 successful schools. but … a bizarre process with any other agenda than the improvement of our education system and worse, a very timid Associate Minister with little understanding of education or drive for change.
To those few people who have said to us … “hold back and let David get the job done” … you must now see that holding back is the worst approach - just for the … 900 deserving families we would be providing for in our first year with the four schools.
Help us fight this nonsense!
Alwyn Poole
alwyn.poole@gmail.com
Innovative Education Consultants Ltd
Education 710+ Ltd
(both sites currently being re-done)
alwynpoole.substack.com
www.linkedin.com/in/alwyn-poole-16b02151/