Students assaulting school staff
An educator who has been bitten, hit and scratched is not surprised that during the past five years there have been nearly 5000 incidents of students physically assaulting school staff.
And the effects of alcohol and drugs on children is contributing to the problem, the associate education minister says.
Between 2014 and 2018, there were at least 4871 incidents across the country which saw students stood down, suspended, excluded or expelled for assaulting school staff.
The Ministry of Education data, obtained by Stuff under the Official Information Act, showed incidents were on the rise, with 704 reported in 2014 and 1360 reported in 2018.
Just under 4000 of the incidents resulted in the student being stood down, 875 in suspensions, 355 in exclusions and fewer than 28 ended in expulsion. The exclusions and expulsions were results of the student being stood down or suspended.
Auckland had the most incidents, with more than 1000.
New Zealand Educational Institute president Lynda Stuart said assaults on school staff would continue until the Ministry of Education provided enough resources to help children with complex needs.
‘‘The figures are not surprising. We’ve been signalling it for a long time but this is the reality for people in schools. We’ve been crying out for support [from the ministry] for children,’’ Stuart said.
‘‘This isn’t the fault of the child. This is often as a result of a number of different factors that may be impacting upon the child to actually behave in that way.’’
Stuart, who is a principal on leave while working for NZEI, said she had been the victim of assault herself, as well as seeing and hearing it happen to other educators.
It happened across the spectrum, with even children in early childhood centres experiencing significant behavioural issues and outbursts, she said.
Children would use their own body or an object as a weapon, she continued.
‘‘I’ve been bitten and scratched in the past.
‘‘When it does happen and it happens to you, you constantly try to think about what could be better, how could we do this better for this child, what’s missing in the system for this child?’’
Associate Education Minister Tracey Martin said the figures were disturbing.
Martin said the incidents didn’t result from just problems at school.
‘‘The wider social issues we have, including the effects of alcohol and drugs, affect our children.’’
Martin said support early in a child’s life meant a greater chance of success rather than leaving it until the problem became severe.
She said a school’s Board of Trustees supported teachers if they were assaulted but the ministry could also help.
Ministry of Education deputy secretary Katrina Casey said the ministry supported schools to manage challenging student behaviour.
Casey said the ministry had a range of initiatives for schools including guides and online resources.
Another initiative – He Ma¯ puna te Tamaiti – focused on creating a supportive environment in the early learning sector and launched just this week. The Government is also funding learning support co-ordinators from January 2020 who will play a ‘‘key role’’ in providing help for students, families and teachers. hit and