Hobsonville Schools to Be Built Under Public-private Partnership

Two new schools planned for Hobsonville will be the guinea pigs for National's hopes of extending public-private partnerships into the schooling sector. Infrastructure minister Bill English yesterday announced two new schools in Hobsonville would be built and maintained by the private sector, although the government would own the school. It would be the first time schools in New Zealand were built under a public private partnership - a policy National flagged before the 2008 election.

The private operator would build the school and maintain the property for 25 years before returning it to the Crown. Mr English acknowledged any savings from the new arrangement were likely to be modest, at least for the first schools, and the government would back out if bids were not attractive enough. Education minister Anne Tolley said boards of trustees would still control governance at the school and would be free to focus on teaching and learning.