Wisps of Cloud (9 page)

Karla grinned. "Sounds like Pauline. Give her another week and she'll forget about what I did for Stephanie and be on her next rampage about something else she doesn't like."

"Possibly," Gillian replied. "She's a better friend than enemy, though. There are plenty of other parents here who are similar to her."

"I know," Karla said as she gathered up her gear. "Thanks for your support Gillian."

"No problem." The deputy principal smiled. "I think both Val and Murray have had trouble adapting to the modern school environment."

"So they should both retire?" Karla whispered.

Gillian just gave a shrug. "See you tomorrow," she replied and walked away.

*

John Cosgrove gazed out the window from one of the upper floors the Bowen Street State Building behind New Zealand's parliament at the southerly storm that still battered Wellington.  He grinned at the sight of pedestrians way below almost being blown over. He was interrupted when he heard his named mentioned. His boss, Doctor Janice Trent, Education Review Office Chief Executive Officer was staring at him.

"You're the senior ERO officer who visited the Top Plateau School
for the latest inspection. Can you tell the Associate Minister of Education what you reported to me?" She nodded at the other woman in the room who sat across the oval shaped table.

"My formal report is on the table." John muttered. He had only been seconded to the ERO team from his position as a primary school principal a couple of months earlier and found this hierarchy of top education professionals a little overwhelming.

"What do you think about the school, its principal and the Board of Trustees? More importantly what you recommend should be done." Like Janice Trent, Lorraine Tapiki, was a highly educated person but she was a Member of Parliament and ultimately the one who made any final decision on the matter. "Just tell us what you hinted at in your official report."

"Can I be blunt?"

"Of course. Nothing said here goes any further. However, if we think it desirable, a vetted version could be sent to the Crown Law Office for their perusal."

John sighed. "Edward Wilton the principal and sole teacher at Top Plateau School has done nothing criminally wrong except for perhaps plagiarism and even that would only result in a wrist slap if he was ever charged. He is
, or was well respected in a conservative farming area because he relates to the farmers there."

"How?" Mrs Tapiki asked.

"Oh he's the Grit of the Earth sort. He has a beard, goes shooting and tramping, looks after school sheep as well as any farmer and knows how far he can go without stepping over any line."

"Explain!" Janice Trent whispered as she placed her iPad on the table.

"Written records. When he arrived at the school back in 1997 he followed a young woman who was very conscientious and had meticulous records. She, by the way is now principal of quite a large school in the South Island. These records carried him through for almost a decade but with a change of emphasis they became dated. Five years back he was advised to update his charter and other records, He never did and two years ago he was issued a stern warning to do it. Likewise, his records of subject planning and children's progress were almost non-existent. When we returned ten days ago we were given written and online documents that looked on the surface to be of high quality." John stopped and sipped from a glass of water before continuing. "They seemed so out of character that I decided to do a check. Victoria University has a sophisticated search programme to check on plagiarism in student's research and can find paragraphs or even sentences out of millions of words published throughout the world that are not original. It can even cross-reference acknowledgements at the end of a thesis, for example and highlight those sections that are illegally copied.  His charter was an amalgamation of three charters from other New Zealand sole charge or two-teacher schools. Oh it flowed beautifully without the usual geographical errors etcetera so I used this programme to run another check.

There is a Hong Kong company that specialises in fake degrees. It's called 'Sound Degrees' and goes beyond just issuing certificates from known universities that one can place on an office wall. It will for a price, send you a whole thesis and follow up documentation that a student might have in, say, a three year masters degree.

We believe that Ted Wilton sent this firm the three charters along with his original one, the one his predecessor wrote and possibly Ministry of Education documents on new policies to have this new immaculate charter made up.  I even costed it out."

"Interesting, but go on," Mrs Tapiki said.

"For a little under a thousand New Zealand dollars he could have had this, school planning for two years and individual records for the dozen children at the school sent to him. Even children's fake individual work would have been included. I think he baulked at using these records but did include this fake planning and evaluation."

"And this Hong Kong firm. Can we as a government put a stop to it?"

"We doubt it," Janice Trent replied. "The Hong Kong site is just one of a network of dubious ones originating from Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Close one down and they just switch to another site. All we can do is guard against it here in New Zealand. Except for John's vigilance, Edward Wilton could easily have got away with the fraud."

"So why don't we take criminal proceedings against him?" the Associate Minister of Education asked.

"He is only a small fish in the ocean," Janice replied. "If we brought him up on a charge it would alert this 'Sound Degrees' that we know about them, they'd close their site and reappear mere days later with a new name and home base.  There are several larger schools in the country that we suspect have also been buying their services. It will take a while but when we have gathered evidence we will prosecuting the Boards of Trustees and personnel responsible."

"So what do we do with Mr Wilton and the Top Plateau Board of Trustees?" Mrs Tapiki asked.

John glanced at her. "I believe the Board of Trustees is ignorant of what has happened. They are quite concerned about the children's education at the school and have asked me in confidence about how they can terminate Wilton's position. However, they are afraid the school will be closed and they don't want this to happen."

"With a roll of twelve and several preschoolers in the area, without the BOT's agreement, it would be almost impossible to close the school," Mrs Tapiki said. "We should concentrate of removing Edward Wilton. If we aren't going to follow up this plagiarism and fraudulent documentation, how can we do it?"

"I recommend we use a little bit of bluff," John said. "But we need to be careful. These are not ignorant country bumpkins out there but sophisticated businessmen and women who run multi-million dollar farms and stations. They are also fiercely parochial and will switch any allegiance back behind Ted Wilton if they believe we are discriminating against him.

"So you see that it is a delicate situation Lorraine, and one that affects more than one tiny school," Janice Trent said. "That is why I called this meeting in the first place."

"And rightly so," the Associate Minister of Education replied. She switched her eyes back to John, "So this bluff you mentioned, John; what ideas do you have? Just spill it out. I know you have been a school principal for many years and in that time have succeeded in weeding out poor teachers on several occasions."

John nodded. Mrs Tapiki had certainly done her homework. He reached for his satchel, took out some documents and handed them around. "This is what I did a few years back with a particularly poor teacher who, like Ted Wilton always managed to just stop crossing any line. I think it could work again."

*

Karla was taking afternoon art two weeks after the senior staff meeting and had all the desks moved to the side of her classroom and the children gathered around a massive sheet of thick paper rolled out across the floor. The children were making a mosaic for their social studies theme about Japan. While some were sticking pieces of coloured paper on the scene of a Japanese temple
, others were sitting on the floor making Japanese lanterns and designs. There was a quiet hum across the room as twenty-seven children worked away at the task in hand. She was helping one child with his bamboo cut-out when she heard a faint cough and glanced up.

Murray Narwood stood there. "What wonderful art the children are doing," he said.

Karla stood up. "Yes, we're making a mosaic to go along the corridor wall. It's all to do with the theme we're doing about Japan." She frowned for Murray almost never made casual visits into classrooms.  "Is there something I can help you with Mr Narwood."

"Yes, actually there is. There is a gentleman from the Ministry of Education in my office who wishes to speak to you." He looked a little embarrassed. "He just turned up so I couldn't forewarn you."

"Me but why?"

"Your name was recommended to him by a Board of Trustees." Murray smiled. "It's nothing bad I assure you but he will explain. Can you go along to the office now?"

Karla stared at her principal. "Not really. Look around. We're in the middle of art. Perhaps in an hour…"

"He hasn't got an hour. I'll stay and mind the children."

Wow! This must be important. Very rarely did Murray ever take classes.

"Okay then," Karla replied somewhat reluctantly. "The children know what to do so won't need much help. If I'm not back by two thirty they'll need to pack up. At ten to three I always have a quiet time when we talk about the day, homework and get ready to go home."

"Good," Murray said. "I'll take care of them."

When she arrived at the principal's office, a tall clean-shaven man in his fifties dressed in a suit greeted Karla with an extended hand.

"Good afternoon, Miss Spicer," he said. "I am John Cosgrove from ERO but am actually seconded to the Ministry of Education for the matter I wish to speak to you about. Has Murray brought you up to date on the reason for my visit?"

Karla shook his hand and her head. "No. He just said something about a Board of Trustee recommendation but nothing more.  I guess that is our board."

"No but it could involve them later if you agree to what I am about to ask."

Karla frowned. "I'm sorry, Mr Cosgrove. I have no idea what you are talking about."

John Cosgrove waved at the armchair nearby, "Take a seat and I'll explain everything."

Karla thanked him and sat down feeling totally confused but curious about the situation.

"I believe you have met or at least heard of Edward Wilton."

Karla frowned. "No…. Wait a minute, you don't mean Ted Wilton, the principal out at Top Plateau School in the Wairarapa?"

"Yes, that's the gentleman I've come about."

Karla stared at the man with thoughts rushing through her mind. There was nothing, though that she could think of that fitted in."

"The ERO team recently visited Top Plateau School and found the situation there not up to the standards we require."

"I heard you were coming back early," Karla replied. "How though, does it affect me?"

"On Monday a team of ERO and Ministry of Education officials visited the school and as a result of our visit, Mr Wilton not only resigned as principal of the school but walked out from our meeting and refused to return. The part-time teacher who gives him release time on alternate Fridays has been at the school for the last two days but she is a young mother with two preschoolers. She cannot take the full time position."

"So it's pretty bad there?" Karla asked.

"Let me say that it is not the children who are the problem. They are remarkably well behaved and Mrs Sharon Gosnell, the relieving teacher is very good with them. Do you know her?"

"No," Karla replied. "I knew there was a relief teacher but her name never came up."

"Anyway, the Top Plateau Board of Trustees asked if we would invite you to take over Mr Wilton's position for the rest of this year and the first term of the next one."

Karla gasped. They wanted her to go there! She had meet at least two of the local board members but only really knew them through Ryan. Why would they especially want her?

"What about my position here?" she asked.

"Your board would have to approve but we hope to second you to Top Plateau School. Your present salary would be retained, plus you would get a secondment allowance and travelling expenses to the school."

"I couldn't travel every day. It's too far."

John Cosgrove smiled. "I realise that but The Top Plateau BOT informed me that you had a local place to stay during the week. "

"Ryan's place. Sure. I guess they told you about my relationship with Ryan Purdon."

"Yes but your personal situation has no bearing on this secondment. To be frank, we need someone of your ability out there. We want someone who can get a rundown school operating again. Their Board of Trustees are keen to have you so here I am offering you the position."

Karla nodded as she thought about what to say. "As you know this offer is a complete surprise. When would you like to know whether I accept or not?"