Schools reject violent children

excluded because of violence.

Casey said directions to enrol were made by the ministry’s regional directors of education and the ministry did not collect national figures on the number of times schools challenged or refused those directions.

Principals Federation president Perry Rush said he knew schools that had resisted enrolling particular children and some that had refused the ministry’s direction because they feared for the safety of staff and students.

‘‘They have judged that under health and safety provisions it is really important students and staff in their school communities are safe, that is a legal requirement and I think this is where the law is proving to be an ass,’’ Rush said. ‘‘Schools are required to enrol students. Schools are also required under the law to ensure they provide a safe and healthy environment where harm does not occur to students and staff, so there really is a question of which law do schools follow.’’

Rush said schools were not shying away from difficult students but were genuinely worried about inadequate support for those students and the likely impact on other children and on staff.

He said the students in question were not disabled but came from difficult backgrounds where they had experienced trauma.

‘‘That trauma presents with violence or abuse that makes having them in the school unsafe, makes students and teachers unsafe around them. That could be throwing furniture around the class, it could be damage to equipment, it can be physical harm to students and in some instance it can be verbal damage,’’ he said.

‘‘We are noticing a growing sea of violence in our schools. It is occurring more frequently and at a much younger age and so we are seeing this issue being confronted by principals and the ministry more frequently.’’

He said his organisation was currently lobbying the Government to resource alternative educational arrangements and said a Napier-based initiative, Managed Moves, offered a successful template other schools could use.

‘‘It is a programme in which schools can move students within a school community to help meet the needs of violent students getting close to suspension. Also, there is a venue-based service which lets these damaged students come away from their home school for a period of time as a safety valve.’’

Tai Tokerau Principals Association president Pat Newman said he knew principals who had considered defying a ministry directive to enrol a child. He said the children generally came from violent backgrounds.

‘‘I am not talking about special education children, I am talking about children who have been excluded because of violent behaviour, of assault, all of those sorts of things.’’

Casey said the ministry’s power to direct a school to enrol a student was a last resort that was not used lightly.

Casey said the ministry was currently trying to find schools for 240 excluded students, including 62 who were excluded because of physical assaults on other students, 16 for physical assaults on staff, 64 for continual disobedience, 22 for drugs, and 41 for other harmful or dangerous behaviour. – RNZ