ERO review - a positive step forward

Education Minister Trevor Mallard said a review into the Education Review Office signalled long term changes for the office that would help towards improving the standard of education across all schools.

"My initial response is that it is a thorough and useful report and I am very supportive of the thrust of the recommendations," Trevor Mallard said.

"I'd like to thank Stan Rodger and the members of the review team for the work they have put into this review and I am confident that the Government will accept many of the recommendations.

"In particular, I plan to personally support in Cabinet the review team's recommendations that the Education Review Office remain a stand alone department.

"When I appointed the review team, merging the ERO within the Ministry of Education was an idea that I was open to advice on. It is a point that the review team canvassed thoroughly before making its recommendation and I am happy to accept its advice.

"I also appreciate the review team's recommendation that the focus of reviews should be on educational improvement, while maintaining a compliance function.

"The report contains some useful advice on how the functions of the Education Review Office can be adapted so that the office can play a more active role in helping schools reach high standards of teaching.

"Schools often feel battered and abandoned after an ERO review. I would like to see criticism of a school followed closely by practical solutions and I believe this report provides ideas on how that can be achieved.

"The Government will be investigating these options closely over the next few months before we issue a formal response. I'm pleased to report that already, Ministry of Education and Education Review Office have been meeting to work through some of the issues raised in the review," Trevor Mallard said.