Tonight on Sunday, is it a boot camp or a classroom? Iron-fisted, no-nonsense education for kids. You will never have your shirt untucked. What makes a charter school tick? And it will be done 100% 100% of the time. Yep ` hushed, strict and results-driven. Welcome to the Cher-est show on Earth! Fame can suck sometimes. Money is pretty fabulous. The ageless Cher. Follow this, you bitches. WOMAN: Ladies and gentlemen, the one, the only, Cher! Well, it's just me. We will have Cher later. Now, isn't it causing a right old stink? Charter, or partnership schools ` independent schools, funded with taxpayer dollars, teaching what they want, how they want and to whom they want. It's divisive. Advocates say charter schools are innovative and dynamic. Opponents say they'll destroy education here. Either way, charter schools open here next year ` five of them. So what are we arguing about? Well, tonight Garth Bray takes us to a brand new charter school in London. You may never and will never argue with a teacher. A new school with new rules. You will never have a short, scruffy tie. You will never have your shirt untucked. Tough, uncompromising discipline. The way that you lay out your desk will be taught to you, and it will be done 100% 100% of the time. Day one of the academic year in England. The class of 2013 is finding out what it means to attend this academy school. The buildings are silent. There is no talking in the stairwell. There is no talking in the corridor. There is no talking inside the buildings at all. It is getting harder to detect, but that is a NZ accent. Fix that top button. My goodness. Let me help. I'm an expert at this sort of thing. Put it in this one. Head teacher Jason Baigent has spent the past decade teaching in academies. There is plenty of room there. I can put my whole fist down there. That's smart. Chobham Academy is in London's East End ` built in the centre of what was the Olympic Games village. Soon it'll be a brand new suburb, buzzing with kids. As part of the deal, developers had to build this school ` with $65m worth of government money ` but they'll also run the school, with the help of an education franchise. They'll decide who teaches what and how. If you'd like to stand here, my dear... We're state-funded, so even though we're classified as an independent school, there's no additional, um, money given to... given to academies. The NZ government wants them known as partnership schools, and there's every chance this is how some of them will look. This one is Jason Baigent's vision of perfection. They look very smart. They look very smart. They look so smart ` really nice. They look very smart. They look so smart ` really nice. Really good. It's very pleasing. He has designed every aspect of the school ` lessons, timetables, hiring teachers, choosing uniforms. After 18 months' planning, it's fantastic. So, if you could create the perfect school, what would it look like? So, if you could create the perfect school, what would it look like? You're in it. It's the perfect silence from 500 children that stands out. All right, sir, keep them to the left. Take them around the room. Why the silent treatment? Structure liberates. So, these children are coming from, often, very dysfunctional families. Um, they're coming from very dysfunctional schools, where a lot of the time they've been allowed to pretty much do what they want ` there's no structure; they're used to calling out; they're used to interrupting; they're used to telling the teacher where to go. Um, so there has to be a whole new mindset. Jason Baigent has plenty of experience. He left a good job at Christchurch's Linwood College for inner-city London 11 years ago. My first lesson, with a group of year 11 kids, I couldn't even get them to sit down. They just ran rings around me. The children here are mostly from families pushing for a better education. So perhaps not too many troublemakers, though boys will be boys ` especially if there's a chance to dish out bumps to a birthday boy. ...10, 11. (CHUCKLES) Oh. 12. Sorry. 12. He's gonna remember on your 12th birthday. He's gonna remember on your 12th birthday. BOTH CHUCKLE Hard beats. Hey, so, what do you think of the school? Yeah, I think it's kind of good and exciting ` but also big and tiring. I` I like it, even though it's strict. But, yeah, it's great. It does seem strict, but I think that's good, in a way, for` Yeah, I think that's a good thing, because at least there's no, like, bad behaviour or anything like that with a strict school. Um, it's tough and fair, because then there's no arguments in the school. Yeah, that's what they say. But do you reckon it's gonna work? > Yeah, that's what they say. But do you reckon it's gonna work? > No. Today and every day,... Today and every day,... KIDS: Today and every day,... ...I will strive to maintain... ...I will strive to maintain... ...I will strive to maintain... Inside the classroom, lesson one is the school mantra. ...a positive, can-do attitude... ...a positive, can-do attitude... ...a positive, can-do attitude... Everyone has to recite it every day. ...our true potential. Some may think this looks more like a prison than a school, but teachers ` who, of course, have signed up 100% ` disagree. One thing that inner-city children often lack is the refinement. I've taught many very bright, very able children who just couldn't cope in an institution like Oxford or Cambridge, because they wouldn't know, necessarily, how to behave. Their raw intelligence is there, but they might not know the, kind of, rituals and expectations of them in an institution. So, we're gonna do it all again until we get it right, OK? You just, essentially, sound to me like you're teaching them manners. You just, essentially, sound to me like you're teaching them manners. Exactly. Most are having a ball, when they're let loose. It could be any good schoolyard anywhere. But disquiet lies beyond school walls ` out past the men in the high-vis vests building a future town. Some teachers see the academies like a wrecking ball. What we've seen in the last decade is a massive growth in edu-businesses ` sometimes under the cover of charitable organisations; sometimes clearly as businesses. But that's the driving force here. It has nothing to do with improving the quality of education. They will argue that it's about improving the quality of education, but they can't substantiate that by any evidence. Alasdair Smith's Anti Academies Alliance is at the forefront of opposition here in the UK. But, as charter schools go global, he wants everyone to join that fight. My advice to NZers ` and particularly for NZ parents ` is to campaign very hard against this sort of privatisation. It's a market-based solution, and it won't deliver social justice, and it won't deliver better education. In England, academies started as a pilot to rescue the worst schools and learned their lessons from US charter schools. So, when Barack Obama visited in 2011, Britain's Prime Minister, David Cameron, was keen to show how well they were doing. He chose Jason Baigent's Globe Academy for the photo opportunity. I think the staff and the kids were probably figuring out something was gonna happen, because we had snipers on the roof and dog patrols. And I was pretending ` like, 'Yes, someone important's coming, but...' And people knew that the Obamas were in town, and so we had questions like, 'Is it Michelle Obama?' I said, 'No, no, it's nothing to do with Michelle Obama,' which was true. It had been one of the worst schools in London, but under academy status and Jason Baigent's leadership it was vastly improved, according to school inspectors. Please take a seat back at your table. Jason Baigent argues the autonomy the academies have given him are the best way to fix failures. 'And if you're in an area that's recognised as being highly deprived, educationally unstable, 'you're producing outcomes of less than 20% of children actually gaining a qualification, 'then someone needs to step in and something does need to be done.' Lucky last. When we start up, and if we're getting 85%, 95%, 100% examination results, parents will opt to come, and that could disadvantage other schools in the area. But there should be that competitive element. And I'm happy for that. I'm happy for them to say, 'We want to beat Chobham down the road.' Great, cos that means your kids will be getting a good deal as well. Now, schools here in the UK, like the Chobham Academy, aren't actually allowed to earn a profit. But they can in the United States, and they will be able to in NZ. I think a lot of the people involved in this will express good intentions, but, unwittingly, this will lead to greater inequality in NZ. Alasdair Smith says it has already happened in Sweden ` fewer qualified teachers; schools without libraries or playgrounds, because, to make a profit, you have to cut costs. Well, the most expensive thing in a school is teacher time. So, if you're gonna make profits, you're gonna cut the amount of teacher time. And that, I think, is morally indefensible. In the past few months, Sweden's schools have suffered a big blow. One of the biggest charter school chains decided business wasn't looking rosy enough. With little notice, it shut down or sold two dozen schools, leaving about 1000 students scrambling for places over summer. You have winners and losers. Some companies do well, and some companies go bust. Which parent wants to send their kids to a school that's gonna go bust? So, this is where we learn, and this is where we grow. And I want everyone in here to be supportive of one another. Fast-forward to Friday. They've been here just one week. Are they starting to learn the rules? BOY SPEAKS INDISTINCTLY > You just called out, so I'll speak to you at the end, briefly. Well, mostly. They're strict ` so strict. The consortium that runs Chobham will eventually require the school to make a small surplus to pay Head Office costs. Catch up. Keep up. Keep to the left. Always single file. Jason Baigent says that's different to turning a profit. I would hate to see, um, schools ever become profit-making. I don't think that's right. I think they can be revenue-producing ` setting up charities, raising funds, you know, bringing more into the coffers. Schools are poor places; always need additional money for something. But, in terms of a company running a school to generate profit for the company, I think that's... that's morally wrong. He's confident that the academy backers are in it for the long haul,... See you tomorrow. ...that kids and their parents have nothing to fear, and that nothing will get in the way of their learning. I sat down lunchtime today and had a chat with quite a few, saying, 'How are you finding it?' They're still finding it strict, and they're still finding it structured, but what they've said is they've said they've never learned so much in the three days they've been here. One girl said to me, 'I'd rather give up the casual chat for two years and come out with brilliant results.' So... perfect attitude. OK, in a moment, raunchy and rude. I've been an evil frickin' diva for 40 frickin' years. # This is a woman's world, and I'm stronger ` strong enough to rise above. This is a woman's world. # Man, it's been a crazy career. From Sonny and Cher, going solo, topping the charts, winning an Oscar ` she's done it all. And she's constantly reinventing herself, helped by a little bit of cosmetic surgery and outrageously raunchy costumes. Tonight the ageless pop diva Cher opens up to Rahni Sadler. # Do you believe in life after love? # Money and fame is fabulous. Don't get me wrong. Welcome to the Cher-est show on Earth! Fame can suck sometimes. Money is pretty fabulous. At 67,... Follow this, you bitches.. ...Cher is ageless. She grew up dirt poor; now lives in a fabulous mansion. You can fix your make-up? You can fix your make-up? Well, if I haven't got mine fixed now, it's never gonna be. (LAUGHS) She's a star without airs and graces. Are you shitting me? Are you shitting me? I love that you swear. Oh, you have no idea. Every time I swear, like, I'll say something, and my mother will go, 'Cher!' And then, my mother, she just swears like a sailor. Cher's mum, Georgia, also dreamed of being famous. At 13, in 1941, she went to Hollywood chasing stardom. Five years later, she was married to a man called Johnny and pregnant with Cher. The couple were young and poor, and Georgia was pressured to have a backyard abortion. You nearly didn't make it. You nearly didn't make it. I know. My grandmother planned it, you know, and, um, and my mom got in there, got on the table and then just went, 'No, I can't do this.' She left school at 16 and began working for music producer Phil Spector ` singing back-up vocals on smash hits by The Ronettes... # Say you'll be my darlin'. # ...and The Righteous Brothers. # ...that lovin' feelin'. # And, at sweet 16, she began a tumultuous love life. And it all happened by accident. Tell me about when you crashed your car into Warren Beatty. I didn't crash my car into Warren Beatty. He ran me off the street. And I thought, 'Jesus, I crashed the car. I'll never drive again. Who is this asshole?' Then he came up, and when we were talking, I realised it was him. And my mother loved him. They ended up dating. He was 25 and already a star. She was nine years younger and smitten. You know, he had a lot to be vain about. He was handsome and funny and very intelligent and a terrific actor, and he was a guy. Their romance was brief. Her next love would change her life. It wasn't exactly what you'd call Romeo and Juliet. No. It was more what I'd call Abbott and Costello. Look at that lovely couple. Oh, she's nice. He's not bad either. Sonny began writing songs for Cher, who was too shy to sing them solo, so he sang with her. It's your cue. # They say we're young, and we don't know. # We won't find out until we grow. In 1964 they released this. # Well, I don't know if all that's true, # cos you got me, and, baby, baby, baby, I got you. # Babe. # I got you, babe. # I got you, babe. # When you first heard I Got You Babe, you weren't very impressed, were you? No. (CHUCKLES) Also, I'd get really shy, and he'd say, 'Cher, it's just me, for God's sake. Just do it.' But I didn't like it that much. # The beat goes on. # The beat goes on. # Drums keep pounding a rhythm to the brain... # Sonny and Cher became big stars, but it didn't last. By 1969, most people thought they were two-hit wonders. By that time, our career had tanked. And we were just about to have to go out on one of the worst phases, and that was playing all these really horrible nightclubs. In the beginning, they were just nightmarish clubs. It was out of those nightclub acts and casino acts that your TV show came about, wasn't it? Yep. From Television City in Hollywood, ladies and gentlemen, Sonny and Cher. CHEERING, APPLAUSE From 1971, The Sonny and Cher Show dominated the ratings. Sonny was the likeable one, and I was the bitch. When you look great, you sing great. You'd better change your clothes. Your suit sounds terrible. You'd better change your clothes. Your suit sounds terrible. LAUGHTER And then the fun stopped. Sonny had a roving eye, and Cher caught him out. The show continued; their marriage didn't. I just woke up one morning, and I went, 'This is it. I'm done.' Despite the fact he hurt you terribly, you remained friends till the end. I couldn't not love him, and I actually could love him so much more, you know, when we were... when we were parted. Sonny would later remarry and start a new career in politics. In 1998 he died in a skiing accident. It was just devastating. It was such a shock. Despite Cher's fond memories, Sonny left her in the lurch when their marriage broke up. Kiss me! Without her knowledge, he'd structured their business so that he owned 95% of everything; the other 5% going to their lawyer. So, when I left, I had pretty much left with nothing. Ouch. Well, after the break, we meet the daughter who became Cher's son? How in the <BLEEP> do you know all this stuff? # Do you believe in life after love? # Hi again. So, Cher ` a single mum, no money and a career in free fall. It was movies that rescued her ` feisty in Witches; seductive in Moonstruck. The winner is... Cher, in Moonstruck. Cher, in Moonstruck. CHEERING, APPLAUSE And` And I don't think that this means that I am somebody, but... I guess I'm on my way. Thank you. Unlike other celebrities, Cher has never hidden the fact that she's had work done. I think that honesty can never be a bad thing. I mean, I don't see how it could be a bad thing, and most of the horrible things that happen is because people do stupid things and then they lie about them, you know, and I think that it's better, if you do something stupid, that you go, 'Yeah, I did it. So what? Kill me.' # Do you believe in life after love? Throughout her life, Cher's vulnerability and strength has been on very public display. # ...really don't think you're strong enough, no. # Her biggest hit, Believe, could be her life motto. Whatever happens, you have to believe it's going to turn out all right,... And here's our own very special guest. Tonight and every night. Our little girl, Chastity. Say goodnight. Now's the time. Goodnight, everybody. ...even if it's your daughter deciding she wants to be your son. Chaz is amazingly strong. Three years ago, Chaz made arrangements to become a man and filmed a documentary about the process. When I went through puberty, it was obvious. Often, at night, I would go to bed praying that I'd wake up the next day as a boy. But, you know, a sex change never occurred to me at that point. When his sex change was imminent, Chaz phoned his mum. And he said, you know, 'I wanna do this.' And I think my reaction was, 'Great'. I said, 'Well, if you've gotta do it, if that's gonna make you happy, then go ahead and do it.' Then, when he started it, I kind of freaked out. I just thought, you know, people won't accept this. You know, it's one thing to be gay, but people don't get this one at all. And this is just going to be a nightmare. And then, but, you know, Chaz is so tough and really smart and very sensitive. We can give you a mirror, if you want to see. We can give you a mirror, if you want to see. Wow. Looks beautiful. Looks beautiful. There you go. And all this smooths out over time. It's hard... to make a transition that you've had for your whole life. You know, you think of your child in one way, and the transition is really difficult. But now it's really great. 'Really great' really sums up Cher's career. I've been an evil frickin' diva for 40 frickin' years. She's never really stopped performing, but now she's back recording. Her latest release is called... well, I'll let Cher do the honours. # This is a woman's world. Tell the truth. # This is a woman's world, and I'm stronger ` strong enough to rise above. # This a woman's world. This is a woman's... It's my best work, for sure. I'm just kind of surprised that it's my best work, at` at my age. # Left with a broken heart. But I'm stronger ` strong enough to rise above. This is a woman's world. At 67, looking 30 years younger, strong, single and on top of her game. # This is a woman's world. # Cher, thank you. Cher, thank you. You're welcome. Who looks like that at 67?