Designated character schools were created under the Education Act 1989[1] of New Zealand, which allows the Minister of Education to establish two types of designated character schools under Sections 155 and 156 of the act. The Ministry of Education defined a designated character school as "a state school that has a particular character which sets it apart from ordinary state schools and kura kaupapa Māori. The only students who may enrol at a designated character school are those whose parents accept the particular character of the school."[2]
Section 155 schools
editKura kaupapa Māori are Māori-language immersion schools, where the principal language of instruction is Māori. They differ from the older kohanga reo, which are immersion kindergartens.
- Te Kura o Waikare
- Nga Taiatea Wharekura
- Te Kura o Hirangi
- Te Kura o Torere
- Te Kura Toitu o Te Whaiti-nui-a-Toi
- Te Kura Kaupapa Motuhake o Tawhiuau
- Mana Tamariki
- Te Kura o Te Whakatupuranga Rua Mano
- Te Kura Maori o Porirua
In 2018, some of New Zealand's twelve approved partnership schools (a version of charter school) successfully applied to become designated character schools after the newly formed Labour-led coalition government set about removing legislation from the Education Act allowing for charter schools.[3]
Section 156 schools
editThese are identified as designated character schools, under Section 156.[4] The special character of schools established under this section is not specified in the Act, and parents may propose any desirable special character as long as no other local school is already delivering an education reflecting the same special character.[citation needed]
References
edit- ^ Education Act 1989
- ^ "Becoming a designated character school". Ministry of Education. 11 September 2017. Archived from the original on 26 January 2019.
- ^ "All charter schools now approved" (Press release). New Zealand Government. Scoop. 17 September 2018. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
- ^ unattributed (n.d.). "Setting up a State School". unidentified. Archived from the original on 24 June 2007. Retrieved 10 January 2009.
- ^ "Our Special Character". Ao Tawhiti Unlimited Discovery. 8 May 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2022.
- ^ "The merged school will be a Year 7-13 designated character school under section 156", 9SEP2010, gazette.govt.nz