The Opportunity Party is a political party founded in 2016. It exists to enact policy that affords
every Kiwi equal opportunity to pursue their potential, in ways that are socially, economically,
and environmentally sustainable. It aims to address challenges at a fundamental level, rather
than tinkering at the edges.

We wish to make the following comments:

Opportunity supports education reform where it is evidence-based, proportionate, and focused on improving long-term outcomes for learners, particularly those currently underserved by the system. We support high-quality data, strong professional standards, and accountability for outcomes.

Overall, this Bill addresses some genuine system challenges. However in several areas it relies too heavily on central control and rule-making, with insufficient attention to implementation risk, equity impacts, and cumulative burden on schools.

The process for developing and implementing the Bill has been disappointing. The wide ranging content and importance to many communities means a short submission deadline over the summer holiday period is inappropriate. Multiple regulatory impact statements have failed to< meet standards, largely due to deficiencies in consultation earlier in the Bill’s development.

Attendance exemptions

Student attendance is a serious and growing concern, with clear long-term consequences for learning, wellbeing, and life outcomes. The current use of attendance exemptions is inconsistent and clearer national expectations are needed.

Attendance issues often arise from complex family, health, disability, cultural, and socio-economic factors. Principals know their communities and the individual circumstances of their students and are best placed to make context-sensitive decisions such as walking-distance and other discretionary exemptions. The Bill would remove this broad professional discretion from principals and replace it with a rigid rules-based regime.

Health curriculum: replacing consultation with information

A nationally consistent, evidence-based curriculum should be set and schools should focus on high-quality delivery. We also support improving the quality, clarity, and consistency of information provided to parents and whānau, including clear communication of existing rights.

However, there must be some mechanism for public consultation, even if that consultation is undertaken centrally rather than through individual schools. The purpose of consultation should be to inform curriculum direction and help determine appropriate sequencing. Once decisions are made, children should receive the education they need, even if some parents disagree.

System monitoring studies (PISA, TIMSS and similar)

While Opportunity supports the use of high-quality, internationally comparable data to inform high-level, long-term education policy and investment decisions, international benchmarks can also be too narrow in scope and methodology and relied on too heavily.

If mandatory participation in international benchmarking studies is to be required the mandate should be funded centrally rather than by schools. The Regulatory Impact Statement acknowledges that the workload burden falls disproportionately on schools, teachers, and students, while the primary benefits accrue at system level.

Teacher workforce regulation and the Teaching Council

Teaching quality is the most important in-school driver of student outcomes and the current regulatory model has weaknesses. However, shifting core standard-setting powers from an independent professional body to the Secretary for Education increases the risk of politicisation over time and weakens professional ownership of standards.

Charter schools and multi-school contracts

Opportunity supports innovation in education where it is evidence-based, equitable, and transparent. Alternative schooling models can play a role in meeting diverse learner needs.

However, this Bill would expand the scope of charter schools before any meaningful long-term track record exists and where evidence of performance from the previous charter school iteration highlighted considerable flaws.

A move to multi-school contracts appears rushed. A more responsible approach would be to operate existing charter schools for at least seven years (long enough for a cohort of students to pass through and their onward transition to be assessed), evaluate outcomes, and only then consider any possible expansion in light of a wider approach to the education system and the track record of individual providers.

A clear reversion pathway for State schools that convert to charter status is necessary to protect students and communities from disruption. Similarly, the Minister must be sufficiently empowered to deal with charter schools that fail. In both situations, the pathway should prioritise educational continuity and community confidence, not act as a bail out for poor performance. Absent additional evidence of the stability and effectiveness of charter schools in general or particular charter school providers, the default should be reversion to the public system.

New Zealand School Property Agency

If done well, centralising property management could reduce workload for schools and improve asset maintenance. If the agency is resourced properly, consults meaningfully with schools, and maintains responsiveness this initiative would ease the administrative burden of individual schools.

We wish to make the following recommendations:

Modify the Bill as follows:

• Retain a discretionary override for principals for attendance exemption and ensure rules focus on principles and presumptions rather than exhaustive categories.
• Strengthen minimum standards for information provision on the health curriculum and ensure a mechanism is provided for centrally undertaken consultation.
• Recognise participation in system monitoring studies as a system obligation and guarantee resourcing or time offsets for participating schools and provide safeguards for schools repeatedly selected.
• Retain professional standard-setting for teachers within an independent body, with statutory mechanisms to ensure alignment with national curriculum and government priorities.
• In dealing with charter school failure, make the default scenario a reversion to the public system rather than seeking new sponsors or requiring negotiations for integration. Mandate educational continuity and the community’s wishes as key considerations for decision-making in such scenarios.