Charter Schools - A Threat To Our Quality Public Education

PRESS STATEMENT

Public meeting: What’s happening to our kids’ education? Charter schools a threat to public education (see below for speakers, including Martin Thrupp Professor of Education Waikato University).

This is part of a series of meetings being organised by NZEI. These meetings are intended to inform and encourage our communities to actively protect New Zealand’s high quality local schools, as reflected in OECD rankings for maths and literacy .

The combination of Govt policies from cuts to early childhood and tertiary, charter schools, unqualified teachers, national standards, performance pay, league tables and private public partnerships are part of a free market agenda to privatise education. We intend to build opposition to protect our successful public education system.

Overseas these policies have created barriers to students’ learning, particularly for the lowest twenty persent of students who the Government claims they will help. Why would we want public taxpayers money skimmed off for private profit when schools are already under funded?

Charter Schools - A Threat To Our Quality Public Education

Public Meeting

Kelston Community Centre, West Auckland

Tuesday 21st August, 7pm to 9pm

Corner Great North & Awaroa Roads

All welcome. Bring your family, friends and people you work with.

a.. No qualifications required for teachers in charter schools
b.. Our educational values are under threat - from early childhood and primary to high school and tertiary levels
c.. Stand up for our quality public education system before it is too late - every voice counts!

MC: Martyn 'Bomber' Bradbury: Media commentator, radio and TV host, and was executive producer of Alt TV - NZ's Alternative music and culture channel ALT TV and Tumeke! blog.

Speakers

Martin Thrupp: Professor of Education, University of Waikato. Internationally renowned researcher on how education policy plays out in schools in diverse social contexts. Leads the RAINS project, studying the introduction of National Standards in NZ primary and intermediate schools. Academic commentator on education policy issues. Recently organised an open letter against league tables of primary school performance, which has been signed by over 160 education academics.

John Minto: QPEC: Quality Public Education Coalition: - "Making sense of the National Government's education policies and alternatives to improve the education of children in low-income communities".

Frances Guy: NZEI Vice-President, deputy principal. "Charter schools designed to be private profit-driven organisations using taxpayer funding to compete with local schools as occurs in early childhood".

Barney Manaia: Nga Piripiri Manunui Chair, Whakahau Whakamana Whakahihi member. "Quality Maori Education - Mo ake tonu atu".

Carmel Sepuloni: "Ensuring Quality Public Education for all children".

Lynley Hunter: PPTA Auckland Regional Chair. "What do Charter Schools provide that isn't already available within our flexible state education system?"

Jai Bentley-Payne: Tertiary Education Union. "Student Rep in the emerging student movement."

Join the facebook group - Stand up for our kids - Protect our schools

ENDS

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