Pakaraka School Becomes New Zealand’s First State-to-Charter Conversion

Pakaraka School near Moerewa in Northland has become New Zealand's first state school to convert to charter status, Associate Education Minister David Seymour announced on October 12. The school is now operated by the Society of Holistic Learners, a charitable trust established by members of its existing board. The Charter School Agency says it will teach the New Zealand curriculum through a Steiner approach. Seymour said the school must demonstrate that its students achieve as well as comparable state-school students using the same testing.