Education Ministry chief executive Iona Holstead has admitted the ministry does not have the ability to protect children while they are in school.
The Royal Commission into the historic abuse of children in state care has been hearing evidence for the past week from government agency chief executives including the Social Development Ministry, Police and other agencies.
The commission is holding a public hearing to examine the responses of state agencies to the abuse and neglect of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
Holstead admitted yesterday that the Ministry of Education had failed in one of its core roles, which is the safety of the child, and also the ministry's past failures to actively prevent the harm to tamariki Māori while in education settings.
"It can't, and it's something that I find I talk a lot about. Even in the last reading of this submission, I saw the word ensure. It's not possible to get that assurance, I'm sorry, and it would be wrong to do so."
Trying to rectify
But then said any abuse that occurred while at school was the school's responsibility.
"What happens on a daily basis in schools is not something we have daily contact on."
"As a system too often, not always, but too often, there were lower expectations of certain groups and communities, and I would include the deaf, disabled, Maori and Pacific. So that expectations of those children are biased against their success."
Holdstead said the ministry had done what it could to rectify some of the failings of the education system.
"We have done what we can over the years to eliminate legislative discrimination. That has not eliminated biases, human biases."