Dumped NZQA boss paid to upskill

Former Qualifications Authority head Karen Van Rooyen has been training to be a company director while still on the public payroll - despite resigning under a cloud three months ago.

Ms Van Rooyen resigned in May after a highly critical State Services Commission report blamed her and the authority for last year's Scholarship exam fiasco.

She was to be paid $50,000 to work from home for three months on "special project work" until next Friday.

This week Ms Van Rooyen has been attending a company directors course run by the Institute of Directors at the Duxton Hotel in Wellington.

Participants stay at the Duxton - close to Ms Van Rooyen's Wadestown home - during the five-day course, which costs $4550 for institute members and $5300 for non-members.

NZQA, a Government agency, yesterday confirmed it had paid for Ms Van Rooyen to attend the course, but acting chairwoman Catherine Gibson said it was part of ongoing professional training to which she was entitled. She was supposed to have attended it last year.

"She was unable to do so then, because of work commitments. It was agreed that she would attend the course during her notice period."

Bill English, National's education spokesman, said it was a golden handshake in disguise.

Ms Van Rooyen had been paid for three months for doing nothing and, to add insult to injury, she had a $5000 stay in the Duxton, he said.

"She has had the cake and now she's getting the icing."

Ms Van Rooyen's NZQA salary was between $200,000 and $210,000.

She did not return calls last night.