Chief ombudsman requests urgent meeting with head of Education Ministry after OIA subversion

The chief ombudsman John Allen has requested an urgent meeting with the head of the Education Ministry.In a statement Allen said he had significant concerns about allegations ministry staff tried to circumvent the Official Information Act (OIA).The action followed publication this week of a video showing a ministry manager asking staff not to mention in writing feedback that had come from the Education Minister's office about draft secondary school curriculums.The person who shared the footage told RNZ it was the most brazen of several attempts to avoid scrutiny via the OIA.Allen announced on Wednesday afternoon he had sought a meeting with Secretary for Education Ellen MacGregor-Reid."I have significant concerns about these allegations," Allen said."Public trust and confidence in the Ministry and the OIA would be undermined if they were found to be true."I am taking this issue very seriously and am now considering what action I may take to provide some independent scrutiny of these matters through a broader investigation under the Ombudsmen Act 1975."Meanwhile, Principals Federation president Jason Miles said the video was cause for concern."The curriculum should be something that is owned by all of us. It should be done with the sector, with Māori and not be a secret," he said.Miles said the federation had been worried about the curriculum since late last year because it was not clear who was driving the ideology behind the work.