Children at Arakura School in Lower Hutt line up for free lunch, on 18 March, 2024. Photo: RNZ / Angus Dreaver
Seven new charter schools are opening throughout the country this week.
Charter schools are publicly funded and privately owned.
$153 million has been set aside by the coalition government for 15 new charter schools and the conversion of 35 state schools over this year and next.
Associate Education Minister David Seymour says they provide parents and children with more choice, and educators with more autonomy around things like governance, funding, finances, and their curriculum.
However, there are questions about the effectiveness of charter schools, and concerns over how they'll be monitored and student achievement measured.
Kathryn is joined by Jane Lee, who is chief executive at the Charter Schools Agency overseeing and monitoring the schools.
She also speaks to Chris Abercrombie, president of the secondary teachers' union, the PPTA.
