Excluded pupils need more support, principals say

WELLINGTON: Some school principals are calling for more and consistent support for pupils who have been excluded.

They say the way pupils are dealt with after being suspended will leave already atrisk pupils worse off.

The Education Act is being reviewed, and despite discussions about the need for better support, as it stands school principals will have just 10 days to find another school for suspended pupils, before the case gets passed on to the Secretary for Education.

Secondary Principals Association president Deidre Shea said that was worrying principals.

‘‘Exclusions don’t happen often.

‘‘But when they do happen, you want to ensure that the best support is available quickly to return that young person to a learning situation with appropriate support.

‘‘We see this as an area where change behind the Act is really important.’’

An exclusion often affected the pupil and the family, so a 10day timeframe created challenges to reach potentially good outcomes for that child, she said.

One of the suggestions the association had received was to ‘‘ensure that there is an intermediate step before it’s referred to the secretary to enable a good conversation with the young person and the family to ensure they continue their learning in an appropriate setting’’.

She told Morning Report a third party or an agency could be brought in ‘‘to work with that family and with that student to find an appropriate outcome’’.

‘‘Some areas in New Zealand already do have creative solutions that are supported by the Ministry [of Education] and by other bodies — these are working really well.

‘‘What we’d like to see is that to be more consistent and certainly more universally available.’’ — RNZ