There has been a change of policy from the Government in relation to class sizes and teacher/student ratio and that is a relief. The next area in which there needs to be  a change of policy is in relation to Charter Schools. These are a combination of both  state and private funded schools that, if set up in NZ, are then free to be operated however they wish. I think that properly funding and staffing our existing state and and state integrated schools should be a a priority rather than starting a new type of schooling.  Education is a massive expense for our country but it is an essential, not a luxury. The Government acknowledges that we have an excellent education system in New Zealand, albeit with the problem of a 5% tail of underachievers. A significant factor causing underachievement is poverty (and the many things that may go alongside that, e.g. malnourishment, family violence, lack of confidence, frequent changes of residence and location) and until that is addressed in New Zealand, it is unlikely that many children living in those environments will achieve highly. There is no doubt that teacher quality is also paramount in order for children to achieve; as important, is the parents’ support and involvement both for their child and their child’s school. I think that here at St Joseph’s, we are particularly fortunate to have parents who care passionately about their children’s education  and teachers who really want to make a difference.