Disability Rights Commissioner concerned about school ‘seclusions’

The Disability Rights Commissioner remains concerned about child safety following revelations of eight schools using ‘‘seclusion’’ rooms.

Christchurch’s Halswell Residential College confirmed it was in discussion with the Ministry of Education about its ‘‘safe room procedures’’, with a further meeting with the Ministry this Friday. It is unclear if Halswell is one of the eight schools as the Ministry said it will not be naming them.

The commissioner’s announcement follows allegations that locked seclusion rooms were used in two primary schools to restrain children with autism.

The completed investigation into Miramar Central School in Wellington found seclusion went beyond the management of extreme situations – in some cases it was used as routine behaviour management practice. A second police investigation into the use of the practice at Ruru Specialist School in Invercargill is still ongoing.

Commissioner Paul Gibson said he was concerned by suggestions teachers at Ruru were not cooperating with police investigations. Gibson has written to the Ministry of Education to ask if it was confident in the leadership of both schools to ensure the safety and welfare of students.

Last week the ministry’s acting secretary of education Katrina Casey apologised to parents for the Ministry’s handling of the complaint about the use of seclusion at Miramar Central School. ‘‘It is clear that the Ministry didn’t act with the urgency it should have to stop the use of seclusion,’’ she said.

‘‘The Ministry has made it clear that schools shouldn’t be using seclusion rooms’’, the Ministry’s Head of Special Education David Wales said.

‘‘We will work with them to use alternative behaviour management tools and ensure there is no further use of the rooms.’’

He said he was confident that following investigations by the Ministry, neither Mirimar Central or Ruru were still using seclusion.

The investigation into Miramar Central School was completed last month and the Ministry had ‘‘a staff member on-site at all times to support the school’’, he said.

Halswell Residential College Board of Trustees chair Lois Chick said the school used ‘‘two large, naturally well-lit safe rooms’’ as a last resort when a student’s behaviour was dangerous. The rooms were not lockable, were not used as a form of punishment, and students were always supervised.

The school had not received any complaints by parents about the rooms, Chick said.

Chick would meet with Ministry staff and the school’s principal on Friday to continue discussions.