Labour's education spokesperson says she wants to scrap charter schools if the party regains power, potentially cutting short their return to the education system.
The policy featured in both National and ACT's pre-election education policies, with the first charter schools now potentially opening in five months' time.
Fixed-term contracts being signed for the schools are 10 years long, but former education minister Jan Tinetti told Q+A that a hypothetical future Labour administration wouldn't back down at scrapping the schools.
"Labour has got rid of these before, and we will get rid of them again, because they are bad for young people and bad for their learning," she said.
"We will be looking at legal advice around that, but we will get rid of charter schools.
"We will not have charter schools."
Labour has argued that the schools cost more than state schools and are a path towards privatising education. National and ACT contend charter schools provide choice to parents, with autonomy allowing for greater innovation among different institutions.
The Government's legislation to enable the schools has been moving through Parliament.
Charter schools — which are not run by the government and do not need to teach the state-set curriculum — were first allowed during John Key's National government.
Jan Tinetti speaks to Q+A in August 2024. (Source: Q+A/Irra Lee)
They went on to be abolished by Jacinda Ardern's first Labour coalition government.
In her interview, Tinetti was also challenged on Labour's long-standing position on the schooling policy, after her party's Māori development spokesperson Willie Jackson told Q+A that there was "no doubt" the schools had helped Māori in their previous iteration.
She said Labour had a "very, very strong position" on charter schools, adding that she had spoken to Jackson over his position.
"I absolutely understand why Māori are attracted to charter schools, because the education system, as we all know, has let Māori down," she said. "Maybe that was the spike that they needed at that time, but there are better ways that it can work."
Asked if the former Māori development minister was wrong, she said, "in a way, yes."
Up to $153 million to be spent on charter schools
Seymour has previously announced up to $153 million could be spent over the next four years to establish and operate up to 15 new charter schools and to convert 35 state schools to charter schools in 2025 and 2026 — depending on demand and suitability.
Poor financial reporting was a problem last time around but Seymour is now rejecting financial advice. (Source: 1News)
A new departmental agency would be created to establish, implement, operate and monitor the performance of charter schools.
Seymour said: "They can, with some restrictions, set their own curriculum, hours and days of operation, and governance structure. They also have greater flexibility in how they spend their funding as long as they reach the agreed performance outcomes.
"To provide certainty to sponsors, they will have a fixed-term contract of 10 years to operate a charter school, with two rights of renewal for 10 years each. All fixed-term periods are conditional on the school continuing to meet the terms of its contract."
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Q+A with Jack Tame is made with the support of New Zealand On Air
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