Monday, March 11, 2013
The stink of ACT on National's breath
Charter Schools: Not even the Pretence of Democracy.
Associate Professor Peter O’Connor from the University of Auckland says the calling for organisations to apply to run charter schools before the Education and Science Select Committee reports back to parliament is a continuation of the total disregard for democracy that has characterised the sham of charter schools since we found out about their introduction after the 2010 election.
Dr O’Connor says that this extraordinary assault on basic democratic and parliamentary procedure is because the deadlines are so tight to get charter schools in place by the beginning of next year the Act and National parties had no choice but to ride roughshod over proper process. The desperation shown in such a move reveals the importance the backers of the Act party have placed in having charter schools before the next election.
Dr O’Connor says that the bill is not only ill conceived, based on ideology rather than evidence, but the Board which has been set up to oversee both the application and evaluation processes is grossly unqualified for the role.
Associate Professor Peter O'Connor
Director, Critical Research Unit in Applied Theatre
University of Auckland
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7 comments:
"The desperation shown in such a move reveals the importance the backers of the Act party have placed in having charter schools before the next election."
Personally I just cannot understand WHY ACT want to have charter schools in NZ. Does anyone have any ideas why this is so important to them ?
Choice, Hopeful, they claim. In fact, they are pro-privatization, wanting to boost their business opportunities with public (taxpayer) money. Itś difficult to get your head around, I know and that's because they are such warped thinkers - Rodney Hide? Don Brash? Pleeeease!
Charter Schools weren't important to Act and weren't even part of their campaign. Lesley Longstone had a background in bringing in the equivalent of chart schools in the UK and National employed her before the election for that reason. The Act agreement was largely National's manipulation so that if they fell over they would not be their responsibility and Banks, being the little lap dog that he is, was only happy to oblige.
National want Charter Schools to break the Primary teacher's agreement an bring in a private model so their mates can profit from Primary schools as they do in ECE and rest homes.
Charter not chart in second sentence.
bsprout's right (he follows these things).
of course, with your warped social outlook you couldn't see that maybe the gnats want to improve outcomes for students? No vested interests in your view on charter schools much?
BTW - "Associate Professor Peter O'Connor, Director, Critical Research Unit in Applied Theatre, University of Auckland" is that an issue? Perhaps Stephen Franks was referring to him - http://www.stephenfranks.co.nz/?p=5082
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