Former Māori Party leader Tariana Turia is throwing her support behind a Treaty claim opposing the closure of charter schools.
Former Māori Party leader Tariana Turia says she is a staunch supporter of charter schools or kura hourua from day one. Photo: RNZ
Sir Toby Curtis and Dame Iritana Tawhiwhiriangi launched the claim earlier this month saying the axing of the schools will have a detrimental effect on Māori students.
They said the decision breaches the Treaty because it forces Māori out of an education model which works for them - and back into a state system which has long failed them.
Dame Tariana said she was a staunch supporter of charter schools or kura hourua from day one.
She said the kura hourua model has been innovative for Māori education - delivering high-quality education.
This week, the government announced six more charter schools will become designated character schools from the beginning of 2019.
Te Taumata o Ngāti Whakaue Trust which runs Te Rangihakahaka - a Rotorua charter school - opened at the start of the year.
Less than a month after it opened, Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced all charter schools would have to close by the end of this year unless they succeeded in joining the state system.
Mr Hipkins said the government was not satisfied with the success of Māori in state schools - but a private charter school model was not the answer.
General manager Roana Bennett said the school, which has a roll of 84 students, has applied to become a designated character school.
However, she saw no value in being forced back into the state school system.
All eleven charter schools are being given the option of applying to become a designated character school.
