Mark Scott, the former managing director of the ABC, has been appointed by the New South Wales government to one of the biggest jobs in the public service, the head of the education department.
Scott, who replaces Dr Michele Bruniges as department head, will be responsible for 2,000 schools, 49,000 teachers and 790,000 students in the state.
The announcement by the Liberal premier Mike Baird comes just a month after Scott left the ABC after two terms as its chief executive.
The new job marks a return of sorts for Scott, who was an adviser to two education ministers in the Liberal government of Nick Greiner before becoming a journalist at the Sydney Morning Herald in the 1990s.
“Mark is ready, willing and able to bring the fruits of his immense experience to the benefit of the entire NSW community,” Baird said on Thursday.
“Along with promoting outstanding young talent from within the service, we have sought out the best and brightest from the corporate world.”
In a statement, Scott said he couldn’t think of a more worthwhile job after the ABC.
“On leaving the ABC, I was asked what I planned to do next,” Scott said. “I can think of no more important opportunity than working alongside the teachers of NSW and the staff of the department to improve teaching and learning in our schools.”
The state’s education minister, Adrian Piccoli, said: “I look forward to working with Mark to continue delivering the most comprehensive set of reforms of school education in a century. Our focus remains on improving student results and delivering the skills base needed to grow the NSW economy.”
