Education to get Maharey touch

Steve Maharey

Steve Maharey has won the besieged Education portfolio with the directive to use his marketing skills to reinstate faith in the quality of the country's education system.

Mr Maharey is believed to have wanted the economic development job, but said yesterday that he had been "open" to whatever one he got.

The portfolio has been troublesome, with outgoing Education Minister Trevor Mallard forced to abandon plans for further school closures, then under fire over NCEA and scholarships exams.

Tertiary education has also become increasingly problematic with a blowout in low-quality sub-degree courses, much of which occurred under Mr Maharey's watch as Associate Tertiary Minister.

Finance Minister Michael Cullen has been named Tertiary Minister - the first time the portfolio has not been an associate one under Labour.

The appointment of Dr Cullen, dubbed "Mr Fixit", signals just how important a job restructuring the sector is considered to be by the Government.

Mr Maharey said the creation of the stand-alone tertiary portfolio reflected just how large the job had become, although it is also unlikely a senior politician like Dr Cullen would be given an associate role.

Mr Maharey said he and Dr Cullen would work together closely and "there'll certainly be co-ordination through me across the whole sector".

He said his priorities were simple.

"What we've got to have is a very high-quality education system, that's been our driver all the way through.

"That means teachers supported to do their best, it means young people having expectations, it means assessment systems that are geared towards that, it means getting rid of that tail of people who underachieve so that everyone is getting some results in the system."

He was not setting "any rock-hard new priorities because what I want to do is talk around the sector in the immediate future".

He would continue with the present work programme.

"But I want the opportunity to put before people where we might go from here and make sure we have support and consent for that around the sector."

Dr Cullen said the tertiary challenge was to make "sure the Government agencies are pointing in the same direction".

"Clearly we are looking for reorientation of the sector and a strong emphasis on trade skills and technical skills. We're looking for, I think, obviously issues around effectiveness and efficiency, quality, excellence and relevance."