Annan wants investigator to go

Former Cambridge High School principal Alison Annan wants Dame Augusta Wallace replaced as the person conducting an independent inquiry into the school's problems.

Mrs Annan, who left the school last month, now wants to go back on the payroll until a court decides if she resigned or was constructively dismissed.

She does not want to return as fulltime principal but said she would be happy if an interim reinstatement was followed by an order putting her on special leave, limiting her role to helping the board to respond to a damning report on the school from the Education Review Office and the Qualifications Authority.

Mrs Annan left on August 13 after sending out a press release saying she had resigned that day. But she told an Employment Relations Authority hearing in Auckland on Friday that she did not resign; she only announced her intention to resign.

Her departure followed damning reports on school management and claims that senior school managers bullied staff.

The board of trustees asked Dame Augusta, a former chief district court judge, to investigate the claims. On August 13 she told Mrs Annan she would be doing the "honourable thing" if she resigned.

That day, Mrs Annan left and Dennis Finn took over as limited statutory manager. He was made commissioner last week when Education Minister Trevor Mallard sacked the board.

Mrs Annan said in her affidavit to the authority hearing in Auckland that Dame Augusta had asked several times to meet her regarding her opinion that Mrs Annan's role as principal was untenable.

"I don't see how I could have any confidence that Dame Augusta will be able to listen to anything I have to say about these matters with an open mind," Mrs Annan said.

While Dame Augusta was a person of integrity, said Mrs Annan, she was deeply disturbed at what Dame Augusta said to her at a very stressful time, including that resigning was the "honourable" thing to do.

She said Dame Augusta's terms of reference required her to apply the principles of natural justice.

"It seems to me I could not possibly expect to receive a fair hearing from her now, no matter how much she might try to give weight to my views."

She said she would co-operate if a suitably qualified and independent person replaced Dame Augusta to investigate the claims of bullying at the school.

She asked the authority to require Dame Augusta to cease her probe and to find a replacement.

The authority suppressed Dame Augusta's initial report on her findings but made no order replacing her.

- NZPA