Peter Boshier and James Bentley: Chief Ombudsman and St Peters principal on two NZ schools drawing in complaints from parents

Heather du Plessis-Allan Drive

The Chief Ombudsman is urging school boards to take accountability for decisions.

Peter Boshier has made his case notes public relating to his recommendations not being followed - by the boards of Auckland's St Peter's College and Christchurch's Cashmere High School.

St Peter's refused to apologise for excluding a student for buying and smoking marijuana - and Cashmere didn't apologise or take steps after declining an out-of-zone enrolment without explanation.

Boshier says the schools should have apologised for the inadequacies in their responses.

"We recommended that these students' disciplinary records be amended and have nothing attached to it - and then we said the board, when it's doing a decision like this, should have a clear process."

St Peters principal James Bentley has refused to apologise.

"Marijuana buying and using is an illegal activity - we hold the view, as many schools do, that this has no place in our schools. We'd hoped the Ombudsman would have supported us on this, but unfortunately he took a different approach."

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