The organisation behind a planned charter school in Waikato believes the education concept will provide tamariki with wider learning opportunities than other school models.
Te Kohao Health, which is based at Kirikiriroa Marae in Hamilton, is one of 19 organisations that have applied to open new charter schools. Five of the 19 are Maori.
Its planned school, Nga Manu Kura, will have a strong emphasis on the outdoors and the environment.
Te Kohao Health managing director Tureiti Moxon said charter schools provided an opportunity to be creative and think outside the box.
Charter schools were not as hemmed in as mainstream schools, and there needed to be other opportunities to be creative, Ms Moxon said.
She appreciates and understood the work most teachers did but said there needed to be alternative ways to develop and grow children.
Ms Moxon hoped to get approval for Nga Manu Kura next month and, if so, the school would open next year.
