Teacher a pain in the butt for unruly student

Old-school teacher censured and fined for giving pupil a kick up the backside. Libby Wilson reports.

The days of a teacher bringing students into line with a swift kick up the backside are officially over, with one being censured and told to pay thousands in costs for just that.

The ‘‘fairly robust’’ kick from Melville High School teacher Peter Charles Rowlingson, directed at a student throwing potentially dangerous metal washers in class, has been ruled serious misconduct by the New Zealand Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal.

The remorseful teacher, who is well regarded at his school, dobbed himself in after the incident. He received a note on his file, has to complete a class management course and pay nearly $3500 in costs to the tribunal after the incident last year.

Rowlingson admitted to inappropriate behaviour and continues to work at Melville High following the incident on June 11, 2015.

The tribunal heard students in Rowlingson’s technology class were throwing things around – including small aluminium cutoffs – and continued after he told them to stop.

The student Rowlingson kicked, referred to as Student A, had a hearing problem noted on his file that Rowlingson said he wasn’t aware of, but had been told at least three times to stop playing with hand tools and get to work.

Right after another student had been told off for throwing a metal washer, Student A did the same thing.

Rowlingson was worried about safety and felt he simply had to stop the behaviour, the tribunal decision said.

The agreed statement of facts says Rowlingson ‘‘made contact with Student A’s bottom with the inside of his boot’’.

Evidence from Rowlingson convinced the tribunal ‘‘The kick was a fairly robust one administered out of a sense of frustration in order to teach Student A a lesson and make him behave’’.

Student A then told the teacher ‘‘f... you’’, and stormed off to tell the Year 9 dean.

Rowlingson has since apologised to the student and student’s family, and his colleagues.

His counsel, Dzintra King, told the tribunal his actions were ‘‘an impulsive response to a potentially

The kick was a fairly robust one administered out of a sense of frustration. Statement of facts

dangerous action on the student’s part’’, he was remorseful and had complied with all conditions imposed.

The tribunal acknowledged that, and said ‘‘there is no evidence that he intended to hurt Student A’’.

But using physical contact for correction or punishment had been outlawed in New Zealand schools for decades, it said, so these actions counted as physical abuse and serious misconduct.

Melville High School dealt with the matter appropriately and professionally, the tribunal said, and it was clear Rowlingson was seen as a valuable member of the staff.

Principal Clive Hamill was disappointed by what had occurred but pleased with how it had been dealt with.

Rowlingson told Hamill about his behaviour after the incident, which happened on a day when a teacher aide was absent.

‘‘This was a moment’s lapse really, for which Peter was very remorseful.’’

Rowlingson had a passion for hard-materials technology – and industry experience, which was hard to find, Hamill said.