Successful U.S. hedge fund manager John Petry makes the case for charter schools - Audio

What part should business play in education - if any? It’s a question that was brought sharply into focus this week with the announcement that the ACT Party had included provision for the introduction of charter schools in its coalition agreement with the Government. The controversial school programme that began in the U.S. in the mid-80s, has seen more than 5,000 charter schools established throughout the country. While the schools remain essentially government funded, and the students pay no fees, partial funding from a range of sources, including businesses, are also a feature of this particular school model. John Petry is based in New York and the principal of a successful hedge fund but he’s also responsible for establishing what are now regarded as some of the city's most successful schools in two of its toughest localities, Harlem and the Bronx. In this interview he explains why he was motivated to co-found the nine schools that make up the Success Academy Network and why they are now ranked in the top 10% of New York's schools. 11th December 2011.