Govt back-f lip on charter schools

UPFRONT funding for charter schools has been slashed, but the Government has done a U-turn and decided to open more of the controversial schools.

Currently charter schools receive significant establishment grants before the doors even open.

That funding has been criticised following revelations one school used the money to buy a $600,000 farm, while another purchased a $100,000 waka for its students.

Charter schools will now receive a fixed payment of $250,000 for primary schools and $400,000 for secondary schools. On top of that, cash for buildings will now be based on a per-student-rate using actual student numbers.

Over a four-year period the new funding formula will save taxpayers more than $2.3 million at one secondary school alone.

Education undersecretary and ACT leader David Seymour is behind the changes. Charter schools were introduced as part of a supply and confidence agreement between ACT and National.

Applications have now been invited for two more charter schools expected to open in 2017 but questions remain over how the Government will recoup assets and land if a school closes, as is possible with one in Northland.

A reference to the clawing back of land and assets was redacted in a Cabinet paper outlining the charter school changes, which was publicly released yesterday.

Labour’s Chris Hipkins said the money had been given away to the nine charter schools and the Government didn’t have ‘‘a leg to stand on’’ to get it back.

‘‘You don’t have to be a QC to work out there’s no way of recouping the millions of dollars if a school doesn’t succeed.’’

Education Minister Hekia Parata has been accused of going back on her word after telling Parliament in February she had no plans for a third round of charter school applications this year.

A spokesman for Parata’s office said her assurances at the time were correct but ‘‘subsequently Mr Seymour mounted a persuasive case for more partnership schools’’.

Green Party education spokeswoman Catherine Delahunty said breaking a promise to the public to cater for ACT wasn’t acceptable.

Hipkins said steamrolling ahead with more schools was ‘‘reckless’’ given the problems existing schools already have.

One of the nine charter schools, Te Pumanawa o te Wairua, in Northland, already faces an uncertain future following a final warning from Parata earlier this year, a scathing independent audit and a second threat of closure in October if things have not improved.

The time between a charter school breaching its contract and facing closure has been extended – the 90-day interval was considered ‘‘too short’’ to carry out investigations and remedial plans.

Post Primary Teachers Association president Angela Roberts said she was ‘‘bewildered’’ the Government thought it needed more time when a charter school had breached its contract.

The 90-day period hadn’t been a problem in Northland where it was apparent very early on there were significant issues that should have led to the school closing, she said.