A political row is brewing over the future of Kelston Boys High School, which has become the focus of an unsolicited bid to turn it into a charter school.
Last week, the school sent a letter to parents confirming it was aware youth charity Bangerz Education and Wellbeing Trust (BEWT) had made a non-endorsed proposal to the Charter Schools Authority to take over Kelston Boys’ High School and have it become a charter school on January, 1 2026.
Labour deputy leader and Kelston MP Carmel Sepuloni says the coalition government is allowing applicants to put relentless pressure on state schools and their communities, with little regard for their wishes or the consequences.
“Well, the group, which is relentless, so it’s been over a period of many months…they’ve been putting continuous pressure on the school, almost inferring it’s a done deal…It’s not just about the application, it’s the can of worms that’s been opened,” says Sepuloni.
She says the government is exposing schools to unnecessary distractions that pull staff away from core educational duties, undermining community trust to push an ACT Party agenda.
“National’s so weak and Luxon, Erica, you know, all of the other ministers, lacking the courage to stand up to the ACT Party. What are they trying to resolve here? Nothing is broken. The things that aren’t broken are the things that they seem to be trying to imply are broken and to change,” says Sepuloni.
Sepuloni says Labour, if elected, will abolish the charter school model and will have case-by-case negotiations with those already set up on how they will continue.
Sepuloni says communities must be at the centre of decisions about their schools.
