Education groups unite to condemn use of unqualified teacher

Media statement

For immediate release
6 August 2012

Education groups unite to condemn use of unqualified teachers

The major education sector groups are united in their condemnation of the Government allowing unqualified and unregistered teachers in charter schools.

The Government announced last week its intention to proceed with the introduction of Charter Schools, which will necessitate a change to the Education Act.

It said that the teachers in charter schools would not necessarily be qualified or registered.

The G7 group says the move is an attack on teaching and its professionalism.

They say there is no place in New Zealand’s quality public education system for unqualified teachers and allowing them into the school system will potentially expose New Zealand children to poor and unsafe practitioners.

Education groups say the professionalism and quality of teaching in New Zealand is world class with New Zealand having one of the best public education systems in the OECD.

The group is also concerned about the governance arrangements for the new charter schools.

Under the charter school model there is no obligation for parents or the community to be directly elected on to school boards. This “flexibility” around charter schools effectively allows the sponsor to decide how the school is governed. This may mean that it could be governed by the sponsor directly or delegated to one or more people to carry out some of governance functions.

A charter school “sponsor” could nominate an individual, body or any group or organisation to act in the governance role, rather than have a board directly elected by the parents from the school community.

© Scoop Media