Hon Bill English
National Education Spokesman

13 September 2004

Mallard's mess gets messier

The reinstatement of Alison Annan as principal of Cambridge High School is a slap in the face for the Minister of Education who has tried to blame all of the problems with the NCEA on one principal, says National's Education spokesman, Bill English.

The Employment Relations Authority today ordered the reinstatement of the beleaguered school's former principal.

The depth of problems with the NCEA were first revealed at Cambridge High School.

"In an effort to avoid wider scrutiny of the system, the Minister has put all of his efforts into blaming the school instead of looking at the NCEA," says Mr English.

"Whatever happens with Mrs Annan and Cambridge High, the NCEA has a multitude of problems, and targeted bullying will not make that fact go away.

"Parents, teachers and students will all be concerned that the Minister will do anything, including potentially breaching employment law, to try to prove his own political points.

"Mr Mallard needs to own up to the problems with the NCEA and get on with fixing them," says Mr English.

Ends

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