Labour's Education spokesperson Sue Moroney says the Education Minister has misled Parliament and the public over the background of a woman appointed as a specialist advisor to schools.
The minister, Anne Tolley, told MPs on Thursday that the woman had never been suspended from her former role as a kura principal.
The allegation had been made by a Whangarei principal and Labour candidate, Pat Newman.
Some trustees of a Northland kura kaupapa have since confirmed that a former principal, now hired as one of the ministry's new student achievement function practitioners, was once stood down for alleged professional misconduct.
Ms Moroney says the terms 'suspended' and 'stood down' are interchangeable in employment law and by omitting to tell the House that the principal had been stood down the minister has either been poorly-advised or less than frank.
The kura kaupapa trustees say they stood down their principal and suspended her husband, who was a teacher, while they investigated serious complaints. They say the two were effectively suspended for nearly a year on full pay.
The trustees say the Ministry of Education appointed a limited statutory manager to the school and the principal and her husband eventually resigned.
The former kura kaupapa principal is to appear before a Disciplinary Tribunal of the Teachers' Council next week.
A spokesperson for Ms Tolley said on Friday no practitioners have been suspended.
Ministry stands by process
Teacher and principal groups were also concerned that some of the 46 appointees to the advisory roles have no teaching experience.
The Ministry of Education is standing by its appointment process, saying it is confident the advisers have the skills and experience to help schools raise student achievement
It says it conducts thorough reference and background checks on all applicants before making appointments.
