Annan will co-operate with Auditor-General inquiry

By ELIZABETH BINNING


Reinstated Cambridge High principal Alison Annan says she will co-operate fully with a new inquiry into a possible conflict between the school and the privately run Cambridge International College.

The inquiry was launched yesterday by the Auditor-General.

Mrs Annan is the foundation principal of the international college, which offers a one-year programme to help foreign students gain qualifications needed to enter university here.

She and her husband, Ron Annan, are also directors of Cambridge Class Ltd, which supplies teaching services to the Hamilton-based college.

Education Minister Trevor Mallard asked the Auditor-General in June to investigate allegations that the Annans had used funding from the school's board for travel that benefited the international college.

Mr Mallard wanted to know if there was any foundation to the allegations and what accountability was in place to ensure any such conflicts of interest were managed properly by the school board.

The college's principal, Martin Mitchell, said yesterday that his lawyer had advised him not to discuss the matter at this stage.

Mrs Annan's lawyer, Nikki Rice, said the alleged conflict of interest had been investigated before.

"The office of the Auditor-General made inquiries into this at the end of 2002 and nothing ever came of that. That inquiry seems to be going on and off since then."

Ms Rice said she was not sure exactly what allegations the new inquiry covered but Mrs Annan would continue to comply with all requests for information.

The Auditor-General's manager of school audits, Graham Potter, said the decision to launch a new inquiry followed a preliminary inquiry which did not satisfactorily answer the questions raised by Mr Mallard.

He said up to three members of the Auditor-General's office would be involved in the inquiry.

A final report is not expected until at least the end of this year.

Cambridge High School commissioner Dennis Finn welcomed the opportunity to investigate all issues surrounding the school.

"If there are further inquiries to be carried out then I support that because I want to know exactly what the issues are as far as the school is concerned and where they sit."

He did not expect the inquiry to have any impact on the running of the school or the students who have been thrust into the spotlight during its highly publicised problems.

The school has also been the subject of an Education Review Office report and an independent investigation by Dame Augusta Wallace into claims of staff bullying.

Neither report will be released until the Employment Relations Authority rules on a dispute over Mrs Annan's employment status.

Mrs Annan has not been at Cambridge High since saying last month that she intended to resign following a damning Qualifications Authority report.

Last week, the Employment Relations Authority reinstated her as the interim principal but she is not allowed on school grounds.