The New Zealand Post-Primary Teachers Association has disclosed the names of what appear to be the recipients of charter school status after Key administration consultation with potential applicants to run the delegated government-funded non-curricular school options, which are strongly opposed by the PPTA and the other major New Zealand teacher’s union, the New Zealand Educational Institute.

In their May 2013 newsletter, the PPTA named the following organisations

Canterbury Youth Development Trust

Ekalesia Faapotopotoga Kerisiano Samoa (EFKS) Church

Ngatiwai ki Whangaruru Whenua Toopu Trust

Manukau Christian Charitable Trust

Manukau Institute of Technology

Rise UP Trust

Nga Kakano Reo e Kura

Motueka Rudolf Steiner School

Villa Education Trust (Mt Hobson Middle School)

New Zealand Christian Proprietors Trust

Rangitaiki Independent School

Maharishi Foundation of New Zealand

Nga Potiki Education Trust

Pacific Christian School

Living Way Centre

Little Ark ECE (early childhood education) Centre

Otara Community Preschool

Te Aka (2010) Charitable Trust

Makahika Outdoor Pursuits Centre

Immanuel Christian School

Schoolsims NZ

In other words, one-third of the potential applicants for charter school management and curricular development appear to be fundamentalist Christian organisations or education providers.  In the accompanying page, the newsletter also notes that the influential Ngai Tahu iwi has called for mainstream public educational development initiatives, particularly for Maori and Pacific Island group. An Auckland University academic, Dr Airini, expressed grave concerns about the “transparency, governance, curriculum and quality of teaching” in the charter schools.  While, admittedly, the Manawatu Standard erred in citing one religious organisation that had apparently withdrawn from the quest for charter school management under the proposed Education Act amendment enabling clauses, which had sought to teach “intelligent design” creationism instead of evidence-based neo-Darwinian evolutionary theory within its planned curriculum, I suspect LGBT New Zealanders will have grave questions about whether or not the above list of providers will be the best for LGBT students and teachers, especially given the absence of teacher registration within the proposed schools.

Recommended:

PPTA News (May 2013): http://www.ppta.org.nz/index/php/resources/pptanews/2671-pptanews-may2013

“PPTA out Manawatu charter school hopefuls”:Manawatu Standard: 21.05.2013:  http://www.stuff.co.nz/manawatu-standard/news/8698056/PPTA-outs-charter-school-hopefuls