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respond to all queries within five working days.
 
If you are wanting to enrol your child at a specific charter school,
please contact the school directly. You can find a list of all charter
schools and their websites here: [1]Charter schools :: Charter Schools |
Kura Hourua
 
Ngā mihi
The Charter Schools Team

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[IN-CONFIDENCE - RELEASE EXTERNAL]

Tçnâ koe Tobias, thank you for your Official Information Act (Act) request
to the Charter School Agency (the Agency) for:

 

1) To the agency's knowledge, are there any charter schools in New Zealand
that teach a form of creationism (broadly, the belief that Earth and Life
was created by some form of divine/supernatural power) as fact and/or a
science as part of their curriculum?

2) To the agency's knowledge, are there any charter schools in New Zealand
that reject or shed doubt upon the scientific consensus regarding
evolution or the age of the earth as part of their curriculum?

3) What mechanisms are in place in ensure charter schools in New Zealand
are not teaching student to treat psuedosciences such as creationism as
fact?

 

The Agency is not aware of any charter school that teaches the belief that
earth and life was created by some form of divine or supernatural power as
fact or science as part of their curriculum. The Agency is not aware of
any charter schools that reject or shed doubt upon the scientific
consensus regarding evolution or the age of the earth as part of their
curriculum.

 

Charter schools are public schools, but they are run by a sponsor instead
of a school board.  Before being able to operate a charter school, the
sponsor must go through a rigorous application process.  If their
application is successful, the sponsor then signs a contract to run the
school. The charter school has greater autonomy to set their own
curriculum, hours, and teaching methods. In return, they must meet clear
academic and attendance targets. The Agency and Charter School
Authorisation Board monitor each school’s performance, particularly on
student attendance and achievement.  How charter schools deliver these
results is up to them, if they are complying with their contract and the
relevant legislation.

 

The relevant legislation for religious instruction at charter schools is
section 212Z of the [1]Education and Training Act, it reads:

 

212ZReligious instruction and observances

(1) A charter school may provide religious instruction and observances
only if permitted under its charter school contract.

(2) If religious instruction and observances form part of the education
with a special character provided by a charter school, these may continue
to form part of the general school programme in accordance with the terms
and conditions set out in the charter school contract relating to that
school.

(3) If religious instruction and observances form part of the education
with a special character provided by a charter school, that school—

(a) must be responsive to the sensitivities of students and parents of
different religious or philosophical affiliations; and

(b) may not require a student of a different religious or philosophical
affiliation to participate in religious observances and religious
instruction concerned with particular observances if a parent of the
student states that they do not wish that student to participate.

 

Each charter school contract includes a section where the school declares
if it has a special or designated character including any religious,
philosophical or other distinguishing characteristics. Section 212L of the
Education and Training Act, requires the contract to set out the
curriculum to be taught at the charter school and its mode of delivery.
You can find a copy of the template used for contracting with charter
schools here: [2]Charter School Agreement Template .

 

In addition, the Education Review Office (ERO) monitors charter schools’
performance and the delivery of education services within three years of
opening. More Information about how ERO monitors charter schools can be
found on their website [3]here .

 

You can find more about the charter schools and their curriculums by
visiting the Agency’s website at: [4]Charter school directory and
navigating to the websites of each school using the links provided.

 

Thank you again for your email. If you have further questions, please feel
free to contact me by email at [5][Charter School Agency request email].  You have
the right to ask an Ombudsman to review my response by contacting them at
[6][email address], however we encourage you to get in touch
with us first, we’re happy to help

 

Ngâ mihi,

 

 

Hugh McIlraith
Principal Advisor
Charter School Agency

[7]A black text on a white background AI-generated content may be
incorrect.

 

 

 

 

 

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