Today the Minister of Education, Hekia Parata, said the government has chosen five charter schools. They will start next February. A charter school – also called a partnership school or a Kura Hourua – is a private school with government funding.
The five schools are all in Auckland and Northland.
There will be two Maori bi-lingual secondary schools in Northland.
A senior secondary school in Albany, Auckland, will be a military school. It will have military-style discipline. Next year it will take Years 11 and 12 students and the following year it will include Year 13 students. English, Mathematics and Physical Education will be compulsory.
South Auckland will have two new primary schools. One will be a Christian middle school for years 7 and 8 and the other will focus on Maori and Pasifika students from Years 1 to 6.
All 5 charter schools must improve the academic success of Maori and other students who do not succeed at the moment. Parents can choose to send their children to these schools.
The Minister of Education considered 35 applications for charter schools before choosing these five.
The two teacher unions, NZEI (primary teachers) and PPTA (secondary teachers) said that the money for these schools – $19 million – would be better spent on state schools. The unions do not like the idea of unregistered teachers.
Listen to August 3rd 2012 to hear more about charter schools.
Vocabulary
• bi-lingual – teaching subjects in two languages: Maori and English
• discipline – rules for behaviour
• compulsory – no choice
• Pasifika – Pacific Island children e.g. Samoan, Tongan
• academic – school subjects like reading and mathematics
• unregistered – no teacher training
Note:
success (n), succeed (v)
choose, chose, chosen (3 parts of the verb) – choice (n)