Associate Minister of Education David Seymour has announced the opening of the second round of the charter school application process. Both new schools and state schools interested in converting to charter school status can now submit their expressions of interest to the Charter School Agency (CSA).
Charter schools offer educators greater autonomy and create diversity in New Zealand’s education system. They have been shown to raise overall educational achievement, particularly for students who are underachieving or disengaged from the standard system.
The first round of applications revealed a high demand for charter schools, with the CSA receiving 78 applications to open new charter schools or convert existing state schools.
Seven diverse schools have already opened, and more are in contract negotiations. This demand highlights the commitment to providing varied educational opportunities for young New Zealanders to maximize educational outcomes.
The government has updated estimates of the number of new schools that can be funded, considering factors such as establishment speed, property arrangements, school type, and roll size.
There is now capacity to open more new charter schools than the initially estimated 15. Charter schools will have greater freedom to respond to diverse student needs in innovative ways but will be held to higher standards and subject to rigorous monitoring and accountability.
Charter schools in New Zealand, also known as partnership schools or kura hourua in te reo Māori, are schools that receive government funding similar to state schools but are subject to fewer rules and regulations from the Ministry of Education.
They have the autonomy to set their own curriculum, qualifications, pay rates for teachers, school hours, and school terms. These schools are operated by sponsors such as Māori iwi, not-for-profit organizations, businesses, or existing education providers.
Charter schools were first introduced in New Zealand after an agreement between the National Party and their confidence and supply partner ACT New Zealand following the 2011 general election.
The Education Amendment Bill creating charter schools passed in October 2012.
However, the model faced significant criticism from various educational authorities, teacher organizations, the general public, and political parties. In late October 2017, the Labour-led coalition government announced the abolition of charter schools, and by September 2018, all remaining charter schools had transitioned to become state-integrated schools.
In November 2023, the newly formed National/ACT/NZ First coalition government pledged to reinstate charter schools in New Zealand. The legislation reestablishing charter schools was passed on September 25, 2024.
The current application process for new charter schools and the conversion of existing state schools to charter schools is part of this renewed effort to provide diverse educational opportunities and raise overall educational achievement.
