A controversial government-appointed manager has stepped down from his role at a Kaikohe school.
The departure of Mike Eru from Kaikohe Intermediate School earlier this week came about after a meeting between Associate Education Minister Pita Sharples and disgruntled community members.
Mr Eru was appointed limited statutory manager at 170-pupil Kaikohe Intermediate last August. He is also the commissioner of Moerewa School.
He will be replaced at Kaikohe by Larry Forbes, who has been in charge of Pamapuria School since the arrest of paedophile teacher James Parker in 2012. Mr Forbes was not certain what had prompted Mr Eru's departure.
''Mike and the Ministry agreed that the situation required some kind of circuit-breaker. What contributed to that situation, I'm not sure yet. I think Mike had reached a stage where there was an impasse,'' he said.