A former Northland school principal who lost his job over an alleged relationship with a pupil left the Ruakaka college with a legacy of mismanagement and intimidation, a new report says. An Education Review Office (ERO) report on the 444-pupil Bream Bay College revealed details of former principal John Fitzgerald's
management.
Mr Fitzgerald was deregistered as a teacher in July after allegations that he had an inappropriate relationship with a female pupil.
He could not be contacted for comment.
The ERO report said Mr Fitzgerald sold three school houses without permission from his board of trustees, allegedly intimidated staff and made inappropriate staff appointments.
Before he left, he also budgeted a projected deficit of $150,000.
The school had a new board of trustees, which intended to trade its way out of the situation with help from the Education Ministry, the report said.
It said the sale of the three school houses had limited the board's ability to provide staff accommodation.
New principal Wayne Buckland said the previous board had given permission for the sale of the three houses to be investigated only. Proceeds of about $150,000 from the sales were expected this week.
The ERO report also said the quality of education at Bream Bay was variable, and that student achievement could generally be described as "low average".
Mr Buckland said yesterday that the issues regarding Mr Fitzgerald had been dealt with.
Other matters highlighted in the report, which the school had already identified and started to address, included student work habits and behaviour, staff and student conduct and harassment issues, financial systems and personal appointment systems.
The process of revising and improving the way the school operated had drawn the staff together, Mr Buckland said. The ERO will visit the school again within six months.
- NZPA
