Snook on charter schools

The NZ Herald reports:

The Government has reaffirmed its keenness to implement charter schools despite a damning study which says they may do more harm than good to the under-achievers the Government is targeting.

Under a National-Act agreement, charter schools will be trialled in areas where education achievement is low – South Auckland, Christchurch East, and possibly Wellington.

A group of education experts at Massey University has investigated similar models to the proposed charter schools – Sweden’s “free schools”, England’s “academies”, and privatised schools in the United States.

Oh no, a damning study by the “education experts” at Massey. So who were these experts?

Convener Professor Emeritus Ivan Snook said the group used similar sources of evidence to the Government but came to different conclusions.

Oh Ivan Snook. Having Ivan Snook attack the Government’s education policy is as surprising as having Sue Bradford attack the welfare policy. Professor Snook has spent decades as a champion of socialism, and fighting almost every educational initiative since and including Tomorrow’s Schools. You can read his own version of it here.

Even Trevor Mallard when Education Minister commented:

Ivan Snook advises teachers to continue with their professional reading. I would endorse that advice, with the proviso that teachers find someone other than Ivan Snook to read.

For once I agree with Trevor.