Radio New Zealand - Te Reo Irirangi o Aotearoa

UK appointee to head Education Ministry

Updated at 3:21 pm on 19 July 2011

The Government has appointed a British public servant to lead the Ministry of Education.

State Services Commissioner Iain Rennie on Tuesday announced Lesley Longstone will take up the role of Secretary for Education.

She will take up the role in November, replacing Karen Sewell, who retires next week.

Mr Rennie says Ms Longstone is the director general for infrastructure and funding in England's Department for Education.

He says she has 25 years' experience in the education and employment sectors in the UK, Europe and Australia.

She will take charge of a ministry that employs about 3000 people and recently received a critical performance review.

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