National Party leader Simon Bridges is promising, if he is elected, power over education decisions will remain with schools rather than given to other agencies.
On Tuesday, the Government revealed its reforms to the 1989 Tomorrow's Schools system. It rejected a proposal from the Independent Taskforce Tomorrow's Schools group to establish 20 hubs across the country, each responsible for the governance of 125 schools in their area.
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It deemed the idea "too disruptive". National Education spokesperson Nikki Kaye had previously said the proposal would "disempower parents" by transferring responsibilities to "bureaucrats".
Education Minister Chris Hipkins said the Government believed "the intent of the Taskforce's recommendations can be achieved through changes to our existing structures – including the establishment of an Education Service Agency (ESA) within the Ministry of Education."
The ESA will have a strong local presence, but with new decision-making and funding powers. Enrolment zone decisions will also be taken away from individual schools and be made "locally or regionally".
Bridges said there were several things he liked about the reforms.
"There are a small number of things there that are good around special needs, around training teachers in ECE [Early childhood education] and other areas," he told The AM Show.
However, while he accepts the Government rejected the education hub idea, he believes Hipkins is still interested in "centralising control in the Beehive".
Ahead of the release of the National Party's Education discussion document on Wednesday, Bridges promised power would remain with schools if National is elected to Government.
"We believe in choice, we believe in competition, we believe in locals deciding. You have got this drive from Government, whether it's this, whether it's polytechs - I hope they back down on that one - apprenticeships, and I think coming on DHBs. It is wrong and it doesn't work," he said.
"I think what Hipkins is trying to do is he reckons by doing this he is going to have all schools performing at the same level.
"But the real problem here is that he is not going to bring the poorer performing schools up, he is going to get better-performing schools down, and that's no good."
Hipkins said the previous system had led to "uneven outcomes between schools".
"That has meant young people in some areas have missed out, and it’s been particularly challenging for Māori, Pacific peoples, and people with disabilities and additional learning needs," he said.
"This is not about more centralised decision-making or smothering schools that already perform well. It's about making pragmatic and workable improvements that we believe can gain broad support."
He said the ability to intervene early when a school was struggling has previously been limited.
Key changes:
- More frontline support for schools through a new education agency, as part of a redesigned Ministry of Education
- More support for principals and school boards including through a new centre of leadership and local leadership advisor roles
- New independent disputes panels for parents and students
- Management of school property simplified and/or transferred to the Ministry to free up boards’ time
- Enrolment zones to be managed locally, not by each school
Hipkins' full comments and the changes announced by the Government can be found here.
Newshub.
