David Seymour announces Charter School Establishment Board

The Charter School | Kura Hourua Establishment Board will provide strategic oversight and advice on the implementation of the Charter School | Kura Hourua model.

Associate Education Minister David Seymour has announced the Charter School | Kura Hourua Establishment Board to guide the formation of the charter school model, so that the first schools can open in 2025.

“Charter schools will provide educators with greater autonomy, create diversity in New Zealand’s education system, free educators from state and union interference, and raise overall educational achievement, especially for students who are underachieving or disengaged from the current system,” says Mr Seymour.

The Charter School | Kura Hourua Establishment Board will provide strategic oversight and advice on the implementation of the Charter School | Kura Hourua model. The Board will work with the Ministry of Education on key decisions relating to the initial establishment of the charter school model and ongoing functions and management of the model.

“I’m very pleased to announce the appointment of leading educator Justine Mahon as Chair of the Establishment Board. Justine has considerable experience as a teacher and principal at all levels of the education system, from primary schooling through to tertiary, including in teacher training and development,” says Mr Seymour.

“Justine will be joined by a further seven members who bring deep knowledge and expertise from across the education sector and other key areas that are important for the model’s success, including commercial, property and private sector expertise. Members possess knowledge of what has worked well in overseas models of charter schools, as well as the interests of Māori and Pacific communities.

“The pilot run by the previous government that ACT was part of is informing the revised charter school model. Notably, charter schools were subject to high levels of monitoring and accountability and were shut down when they did not achieve the outcomes they were funded to achieve. State schools don’t have this accountability.

“I hope and intend to see many new charter schools opening, and state and state-integrated schools converting to become charter schools. I will have more announcements on the charter school model in due course.”

Members appointed to the Charter School | Kura Hourua Establishment Board are:

Justine Mahon (Chair)

Glen Denham

John Fiso ONZM

Dr Nina Hood

Neil Paviour-Smith

Rōpata Taylor

Doran Wyatt 

Professor Elizabeth Rata

(With Inputs from New Zealand Government Press Release)