The school boards model set up under Tomorrow's Schools isn't working, the Government-appointed taskforce chaired by Bali Haque believes.

Boards of trustees would be stripped of most of their powers under a radical proposal to change the way New Zealand schools are run.

The long-awaited report into Tomorrow's Schools – the self-governing model of the last 30 years – was released on Friday. It recommends introducing "education hubs" to manage the appointment of principals, school property, suspensions and expulsions, and provide an advocacy service for families with complaints.

It also calls for a limit on out-of-zone enrolments: "Some schools have unfairly and sometimes illegally prevented local students enrolling."

The Crown entities would oversee about 125 schools each. At least half the hub positions should be practising educators, and the other half local iwi and community stakeholders, the report says.

READ MORE:

* Education Minister's overhaul of schools will include the role of boards of trustees

* Government to announce education reforms on a scale not seen since 1989

* Opinion: Reform of Tomorrow's Schools must not repeat past mistakes

Boards would retain control over teaching at their schools and all locally-raised funds, and receive a veto or final approval over their principal's appointment if the taskforce's recommendations are adopted.

"Schools have been expected to operate in isolation for too long, without anywhere near enough professional and business support," chairman Bali Haque said.

"We believe that school boards really matter – they are the representatives of parents and children in the school system – but their role needs to be refocused on what is really important to parents: student success and wellbeing, the goals and purpose of the school and the person appointed to be principal."

STUFF Compulsory schooling sector review shows system not delivering for all.

Large changes to school funding has also been recommended, including limiting how much schools can ask for in donations, barring the use of Government funds to provide for fee-paying international students, and replacing the decile funding system with a proposed equity index "as soon as possible".

Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced the review in February. Friday's Yesterday's recommendations will be open for consultation until April 7.

"Now is the chance for all New Zealanders to have their say on building a schooling system that meets the needs of all students, educators, and parents, and that is fit for purpose for the 21st century," Hipkins said.

The report laid bare the shortcomings of our school system: "The gap between our best and worst performing students has widened."

Under the Tomorrow's Schools model, "schools have been encouraged to compete for students", increasing ethnic and socioeconomic segregation and making the decile system a proxy for school quality.

"There is no evidence to suggest the current self-governing schools model has been successful in raising student achievement or improving equity as was intended.

STACEY SQUIRES/STUFF The Tomorrow's Schools independent taskforce has recommended huge changes in education, including curtailing boards of trustees' roles, limiting out-of-zone enrolments, and ending the decile system.

"Children from disadvantaged homes, too many Māori and Pacific families, and those with significant additional learning needs remain those most poorly served by the system."

Students with disabilities "should have the same access to schooling as other students and it is clear that they currently do not", the report says. Support can be so fragmented that it is almost non-existent and families of disabled students are often made to feel "unwelcome".

Principals' roles are "extremely demanding", and boards of trustees did not always appoint the best person for the job. Under the taskforce's proposal, Education Hubs would identify potential future principals, appoint them, and handle their professional development.

The report also recommended the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and Education Review Office be scrapped, saying such agencies have lost the ability to "deeply influence" self-governing schools.

KEY RECOMMENDATIONS:

- 'Education Hubs' replace regional Ministry of Education offices, assuming many of the responsibilities of school boards of trustees.

- Limit out-of-zone enrolments to decrease competition between schools

- Replace the decile funding system with a proposed equity index "as soon as possible", prioritising the most disadvantaged schools.

- Limit how much schools can ask for in donations

- A learning support co-ordinator for every school to streamline access to services for disabled students

- Disestablish the Education Review Office and New Zealand Qualifications Authority

- Establish a new Education Evaluation Office reporting directly to parliament on the performance of Education Hubs and the Ministry of Education.

TASKFORCE: WHO? WHAT? WHY?

Education Minister Chris Hipkins appointed five members to the taskforce: Education Council chair Barbara Ala'alatoa, University of Waikato professor Mere Berryman, Massey University professor John O'Neill and chief researcher of the New Zealand Council for Educational Research Dr Cathy Wylie.

The taskforce chair was Bali Haque, a former principal and president of the Secondary Principals Association.

Hipkins also invited a panel of about 30 members, drawn from a range of education associations, to support the taskforce.

A key theme of the review was to investigate the "governance, management and administration in schools", which meant examining the roles not only of school boards, but also the Ministry of Education, the Education Review Office, NZQA and the Education Council.

If the taskforce's recommendations are adopted it would be the most radical change to the way our schools are run in 30 years.

*comments on this article have been closed

KELLY HODEL/STUFF Education Minister Chris Hipkins requested the review of the Tomorrow's Schools system last year.