Alwyn Poole
Founded and was the head of Mt Hobson Middle School in Auckland for 18 years. MH Academy is now an in person private school for Years 11–13. There is now a nationwide online provision called Mt Hobson Academy Connected for Years 1–13.
When Education 710+ – a Charitable Company I am a part of – put in a formal complaint during the application process, Associate Minister Seymour rebuffed it without addressing a single issue. A complaint had previously been laid with the Charter School Agency and they discussed it among themselves and said all was okey dokey.
When Mike Hosking raised the concern with Seymour he knocked that back too:
Associate Education Minister David Seymour tells Mike Hosking there were always going to be people who were disappointed, due to 78 applications for new charter schools where there is only budget for 15.
That wasn’t even the truth at the time – there is funding for 50 schools. It was originally announced that there would be 15 new schools and 35 state conversions. The Charter School Agency twice stated (in writing) that the ratio was not fixed. Few, if any state schools are looking to convert and none of the previous charters (now Designated Character Schools) have asked to return.
It is November 27 and this afternoon Seymour announced the first new Charter School. It is in Christchurch for 0–8 in partnership with an Australian company that has never taught Years 0–4 (they do NZ year levels 5–11) and has no experience with Māori or Pasifika students
Of extra interest to us I have just receive this email from a Stuff reporter:
In the Q and A session he [Seymour] admitted that he was wrong when he said there would be 15 opening and only seven will be opening in 2025.
The word bizarre doesn’t even quite match the process and current outcomes. Associate Minister Seymour has either been badly informed by officials or...
There needs to be a full and immediate independent review.
We are still ready to go with four outstanding proposals, a brilliant board and staff in waiting and 900 students/families desperately hoping we will be approved.
Please add your voice to our challenge.
This article was originally published by Education Plus – Challenging Mediocrity.
