Education sector review
The Public Service Association (PSA) says the review of education agencies must focus on building strong public
organisations.
The State Services Minister Trevor Mallard this afternoon announced a review of the secondary schooling and tertiary
education roles of the Ministry of Education, the New Zealand Qualifications Authority and the Tertiary Education
Commission. PSA members work at each of these agencies.
PSA National Secretary Brenda Pilott said the three agencies have all been responsible for implementing significant new
education policy in recent years and the government needs to determine how they should operate in the future and give
them the resources to do a good job.
“This review needs to focus on future roles, responsibilities and resources, rather than on finding people to blame for
issues that have arisen during the reform process.
“New Zealand’s senior schooling and tertiary education systems have been through considerable change in the last five
years with the introduction of new quality assurance, school qualification and examinations and funding systems.
“Public servants have managed these complex changes alongside their everyday workloads which in many cases have also
grown.
“There is also a need to determine what are the appropriate accountability arrangements that ensure accountability to
the public and responsibility to Ministers.
“The PSA has been briefed by the State Services Minister about the review and we have made contact with the State
Services Commission to discuss our involvement in it. Earlier, we had a significant role through the Review of the
Centre in shaping the future of the justice, transport, housing and population policy advice agencies,” Brenda Pilott
said.
ENDS