
<p><img class=" alignright size-full wp-image-1005" src="http://schoolnewsnz.fastrackdev.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/QPEC_logo_300x225.jpg" alt="QPEC logo 300x225" style="margin: 5px; float: right;" width="300" height="225" />The new military charter school on Auckland&#8217;s North Shore has lost 10 per cent of its students since opening in February this year, figures released by the Ministry of Education show.</p>
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<p>QPEC chairperson Bill Courtney says this is a sign that the charter school experiment is failing, and should quickly be stopped to avoid any more students being disadvantaged.</p>
<p>Vanguard Military School opened in February with 104 students. But according to its July 1 roll return to the Ministry of Education, only 93 students were on the roll five months later. This is before the second term had even finished.</p>
<p>&#8220;Vanguard is funded for 108 students this year,&#8221; Mr Courtney says, &#8220;according to its contract with the Ministry, which has set the Guaranteed Minimum Roll at 108 students.</p>
<p>&#8220;But unlike state schools, it has lost no funding as a result of these students leaving, as the funding is guaranteed for the year.&#8221;</p>
<p>QPEC is questioning what made such a high proportion of students leave.</p>
<p>&#8220;The Ministry of Education raised concerns during the application process about this school&#8217;s military culture and zero-tolerance ethos, and how that would fit with being inclusive. It seems these concerns may have been justified,&#8221; Mr Courtney says.</p>
<p>&#8220;It is well known from the experience of charter schools overseas that charter schools &#8216;counsel out&#8217; difficult students who could bring down school grades.</p>
<p>&#8220;Is this something that could well be going on at Vanguard?&#8221;</p>

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