An Auckland principal says teacher fees have been going up in recent years and it\u2019s disheartening to hear of a culture of \u201cwastefulness\u201d at the very organisation charged with enforcing standards of excellence across the profession.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s really disappointing,\u201d Papakura High School principal Simon Craggs told the Herald.<\/p>\n
Hoskin fell on her sword yesterday after the release of two highly critical reports into the organisation \u2013 one into its culture and governance, and the other into conflict of interest and procurement concerns.<\/p>\n
A review this month by consultant Debbie Francis found the council had lost focus on its core regulatory function of child safety and needed to undergo \u201ctransformative change\u201d.<\/p>\n
And a Public Service Commission (PSC) report released last week found \u201cserious and repeated failures\u201d at the agency, including standards that fell \u201cwell short\u201d of those expected in the public sector.<\/p>\n
Among the findings was that the council awarded more than $1.1 million in contracts to an advertising firm run by Hoskin\u2019s husband.<\/p>\n
Though Hoskin had regularly declared the conflict and took no part in awarding contracts, the report criticised inadequate disclosures of her husband\u2019s \u201cconsiderable\u201d shareholding in the firm.<\/p>\n
Education Minister Erica Stanford says Lesley Hoskin’s resignation clears the way for a leadership refresh and significant change. Photo \/ Mark Mitchell<\/p>\n
Education Minister Erica Stanford welcomed Hoskin\u2019s resignation, saying it cleared the way for a leadership refresh and \u201cmuch-needed change\u201d as the body\u2019s governing council sought to restore accountability and oversight.<\/p>\n
Stanford announced today she had appointed Francis, the consultant, to the Teaching Council board to help steady the organisation as it attempts to regain the sector\u2019s trust and refocus on its primary regulatory responsibilities.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Teaching Council has been identified as having a number of serious, pressing issues that need to be resolved in order for it to fulfil its roles effectively and enable trust and confidence heading into the future,\u201d Stanford said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe thing I care about the most is getting a regulatory body that\u2019s in charge of child protection doing their job.\u201d <\/p>\n
\u2018Matter of optics\u2019<\/p>\n
The Francis report singled out the amount spent on executive and managerial pay at the council. Among its recommendations were: \u201cReviewing the sizing of middle management and executive roles and the associated remuneration.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Herald has confirmed that Hoskin earned a salary in excess of $400,000 as CEO.<\/p>\n
As revealed by the <\/a>Herald<\/a>, Hoskin<\/a> went on \u201cagreed leave\u201d in October amid an independent investigation into her conduct.<\/p>\n The board has refused to specify what alleged conduct sparked the independent investigation or provide updates on the inquiry.<\/p>\n Asked repeatedly whether Hoskin was receiving full pay while on leave, governing council chairman David Ferguson would not say.<\/p>\n \u201cAt this point, we are unable to provide any further details regarding the CEO,\u201d he said this week.<\/p>\n Asked yesterday if Hoskin\u2019s resignation was with immediate effect or if she was in line for a severance package, Ferguson said he had nothing to add.<\/p>\n The Francis report also highlights the council\u2019s Waterloo Quay office space in central Wellington incurring \u201ca significant annual rental expenditure\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWhile the current rent does not appear to be inconsistent with market rates, the council may not need its premium location, given its flexible working approaches,\u201d Francis wrote.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is also the matter of optics here, given its reliance on fee and levy income, which teachers generally regard as onerous.\u201d<\/p>\n The Herald has confirmed the council spends $600,000 annually on the 11th-floor waterfront accommodation, which offers views over Wellington Harbour.<\/p>\n It\u2019s understood flexible working arrangement mean many staff work from home on Mondays and Fridays.<\/p>\n Critics have labelled the office rental as unnecessary and extravagant.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you consider that two out of five days are work-from-home, and the exec pay and the dollars spent on contractors … it adds to the overall picture of wasteful spending,\u201d a council staff member said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt would not be hard to find alternative and cheaper office space for 100 people, it\u2019s not a large organisation.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked to comment on the concerns about executive pay and office rental expenditure in light of the Francis report, and the amount received by the council in teacher levies, Ferguson said: \u201cWhat these reports have made clear is that significant change is required across multiple areas of the Teaching Council. A review of all spending will form an important part of this work as the Teaching Council refocuses on its core regulatory role.\u201d<\/p>\n The Herald asked Stanford whether Hoskin had been receiving full pay while on leave and whether she would receive a severance package, but she also declined to comment.<\/p>\n \u201cThose are questions you\u2019re going to have to put to David Ferguson.\u201d<\/p>\n But Stanford said teachers had long questioned the agency\u2019s \u201cscope creep\u201d and many would want answers about where the money they paid in fees had been spent.<\/p>\n She said recent revelations and report findings had identified serious failings at the council that could only be addressed by new leadership and strong governance, including better accountability, monitoring and oversight.<\/p>\n The appointment of Francis \u2013 a \u201chighly respected operator with strong, extensive experience in organisational change and strategy\u201d \u2013 would help get the organisation refocused on its core role, Stanford said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Teaching Council has been identified as having a number of serious, pressing issues that need to be resolved in order for it to fulfil its roles effectively and enable trust and confidence heading into the future,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cMs Francis has shown that she has a strong, clear understanding of changes that need to happen, as outlined in her own report.<\/p>\n \u201cI am glad that her expertise will join the board as they work to restore the Teaching Council to a position where it is able to operate and serve teachers, children and the sector brilliantly.\u201d<\/p>\n \u2018Must meet the highest standards\u2019<\/p>\n Ferguson announced Hoskin\u2019s resignation yesterday in an all-staff email.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Teaching Council and Ms Hoskin agree that it is in the best interests of the parties for Ms Hoskin to resign to enable the Teaching Council to focus on the profession it serves.\u201d<\/p>\n Tom Gott would remain as acting chief executive while the council undertakes a recruitment process for a new leader.<\/p>\n Hoskin\u2019s resignation follows the release of two recent highly critical reports.<\/p>\n The Francis review found the organisation was focused on \u201cbuilding the mana\u201d of teachers and \u201cbeing liked by the profession\u201d, rather than its core role of child protection.<\/p>\n The Francis review was commissioned after a Herald investigation revealed the case of Timothy Fisher<\/a>, who was granted registration and certification despite historical indecency convictions and a 2014 warning from police that he should not have unsupervised access to children.<\/p>\n Fisher went on to abuse nine young girls at an after-school tutoring company linked to Crimson Consulting in 2023 and 2024. He is now in prison.<\/p>\n Last week\u2019s PSC report found the council \u201cdid not appropriately manage all aspects\u201d of a conflict of interest when awarding more than $1.1m in contracts to Clemenger UnLtd, whose managing director was Lesley Hoskin\u2019s husband Brett Hoskin.<\/p>\n The PSC probe was sparked by a whistleblower\u2019s protected disclosure<\/a> that was sent to Stanford\u2019s office last year.<\/p>\n The report found \u201cserious and repeated failures\u201d in the Teaching Council\u2019s procurement and conflict-of-interest processes between late 2018 and early 2025.<\/p>\n Lesley Hoskin had \u201cconsistently declared the conflict arising from her husband\u2019s role, was not involved in awarding the contracts and did not direct any person to award the contracts to Clemenger\u201d, the PSC report found.<\/p>\n \u201cWe did not, however, see evidence that the chief executive\u2019s husband\u2019s shareholding was appropriately declared.<\/p>\n \u201cWe also consider that the Teaching Council\u2019s approach of simply excluding the chief executive from key parts of procurement processes involving Clemenger did not appropriately manage all aspects of the conflict of interest, including any perception risks.\u201d<\/p>\n Public Service Commissioner Sir Brian Roche said the failures were not matters of minor or technical non-compliance, but reflected poor oversight and controls, painting a \u201cconcerning picture\u201d over the use of public money.<\/p>\n \u201cThe council is responsible for upholding high professional standards for teachers,\u201d Roche said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt must also meet the highest standards itself. In this case, basic public sector expectations were not met and in some areas, the council fell well short.\u201d<\/p>\n Responding last week, Ferguson said the newly appointed governing board had fully co-operated throughout the five-month PSC investigation.<\/p>\n The board was \u201cfully committed to immediate change to restore teachers\u2019 trust and confidence in their professional regulatory body\u201d.<\/p>\n The Teaching Council is paying $600,000 a year for “premium” waterfront office space on Waterloo Quay. Photo \/ Google<\/p>\n
Teaching Council chairman David Ferguson.<\/p>\n
Timothy Fisher in the dock at the Manukau District Court for sentencing on 14 charges, including committing indecent acts on children. Photo \/ Sylvie Whinray<\/p>\n