Factcheck - Cynical Chris gets charter school costs wrong

“As if to demonstrate that he is firmly in the pocket of left-wing teachers’ unions rather than on the side of students, Chris Hipkins has been caught repeating their false claims about charter school funding,” says ACT Leader David Seymour.

“Cynical Chris says charter schools cost four times as much as state schools. In reality, they cost broadly the same, and slightly less when you calculate all the figures.

“At last week’s NZ Herald Leaders’ Debate, Ryan Bridge asked Hipkins whether he’d ever lied. Hipkins said he hadn't deliberately, but acknowledged making incorrect statements based on outdated information and claimed he had always corrected them.

“Well, here's his chance to put that to the test. The facts are publicly available on the Charter School Agency's website. Will he correct the record, or keep repeating false claims?

Compared like for like, the costs are:

Primary schools: $8,762 per student at state schools, compared with $8,278 at charter schools.

Secondary schools: $11,040 per student at state schools, compared with $10,741 at charter schools.

“Even the establishment funding figures show charter schools cost less. A new primary charter school with 100 students receives $401,675 in staffing and operating funding, compared with $638,249 for an equivalent state school.

“The real reason Hipkins opposes charter schools is that he and the unions are afraid they're becoming too successful.

“Since the first charter schools opened last year, enrolments have grown from 215 to more than 2,100. Five of the original seven schools exceeded their attendance targets in their first year, and five exceeded their achievement targets.

“Families are choosing these schools because they offer something different. For many students, the traditional system simply wasn't working. Now they're attending school, learning, and getting opportunities they didn't have before.

“Charter schools are contracted to deliver results. If they fail to meet their attendance and achievement targets, they risk losing their funding. That's a level of accountability not seen elsewhere in the state school system.

“Chris Hipkins should be celebrating schools that are helping students succeed, not threatening to close them to keep his union mates happy.

“It's time Cynical Chris put students ahead of union politics.”