Saturday, August 21, 2004
Lost in the hype
Alison Annan is popular with many of her students, super. They are all qualified, the ones that still can't spell think she is grate, and the ones that still can't count give her three thumbs up.
My Right actually likes her stance on school discipline and wonders how there could possibly be any controversy over suspending dope smoking students? She is an old fashioned disciplinarian who set high standards. But that is to overlook other disturbing facts.
To call her a megalomaniac may be to strong a charge - but the pattern of behaviour that led to her downfall does point to this. She was so desperate for success (personal) that she manufactured qualifications for many students - damaging the schools reputation. (The NCEA may have been key to allowing this to happen - but there was no shortage of cynical manipulation.) But there is one thing that stands out to My Right that was initially raised by the TV 3 investigation into Cambridge High. This tucked away in the middle of a lengthy Herald article and grossly under reported;
Staff who disagreed with Annan's educational or disciplinary policies complained that they were bullied or shifted to different positions. An auditor-general's report slammed as imprudent the purchase of life memberships of the Air New Zealand Koru Club for Annan and her husband. A $16,705 payment over three years for Annan's clothing and personal grooming was judged "inappropriate".There was more including overseas trips paid for out of the School coffers with dubious links to core school business - but forget that - $16,000 on kit and make up alone should have had her out the door back then.
Then there was the fact that Annan and her husband, Ron, were major shareholders in Cambridge International College, a private institution offering a one-year programme to foreign, fee-paying students.
A conflict of interest, cried critics. Ron Annan was the director of Cambridge High's international students' programme and Alison regularly made trips overseas to scout for potential students for Cambridge.
My Right is staggered that people seem to be over looking this. The woman "inappropriately" missapropriated funds, caused great embarrassment to the school and the Ministry. The most embarrassing thing for Cambridge as a community now should be the level of support she is getting.
UPDATE - It appears that a little bit of malfeasance (not to mention a good dose of self righteousness) runs in the family - from today's SST - "Annan's sister also faced school audit". Unbelievable! Enough said.
