Charter schools and Te Tiriti focus of Aoraki PPTA meeting

Wednesday, 15 May 2024

The return of charter schools and the status of Te Tiriti will be the focus of a paid union meeting which is expected to be attended by about 500 secondary and area school teachers in Timaru.

The PPTA Aoraki meeting will be held on Thursday afternoon, PPTA Aoraki regional chairperson Rosie Adams said.

Adams said the re-introduction of charter schools by the coalition Government is expected to be a topic of discussion at the meeting as it would have serious implications for school communities.

“It’s a real concern,’’ she said.

On Tuesday, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced the upcoming Budget would include $153 million for up to 50 charter schools to help lift declining educational performance.

The money would be set up to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and convert 35 state schools to charter schools in 2025 and 2026.

They were introduced under ACT’s coalition deal with National in 2011 and catered primarily to “priority learners”.

By late October 2017, the newly formed Labour-led coalition Government announced it would be abolishing charter schools.

Adams said Aoraki teachers were concerned as charter schools were not bound to employ fully registered teachers or follow the New Zealand curriculum.

“This creates a risk that kids will be under served,’’ she said.

“Our teachers are concerned they will take funds from public schools to give to privately owned businesses staffed by teachers who aren’t required to be qualified or trained.”

Adams said at the meeting teachers would also discuss how they could affirm Te Tiriti amid the “divisive rhetoric’’ being used by the coalition Government when discussing Te Tiriti o Waitangi (the Treaty of Waitangi).

“We’ve found that what is good for our Māori learners has a positive outcome for all our students,’’ she said.

“I’ve spoken to teachers who are concerned that the positive outcomes we’re seeing in our kids will regress if resources are redirected away from existing schools.

“The status of Te Tiriti in schools and the return of charter schools raise challenges and concerns for teachers. Coming together will give teachers the chance to make important decisions on moving forward.”