Guards, parents called in at city’s new high school
A trouble stricken newly opened Hamilton high school says it is coming up with solutions to make it safer , but parents still have reservations sending their children back to the campus.
After more than 20 student stand downs since last Tuesday’s fight that saw one student allegedly knocked out cold by another, four security guards will now walk around Mangakōtukutuku College, and the school is asking parents to help manage their children.
A mother, who asked not to be named because she doesn’t want others to know her children’s whereabouts, had worked in security and is not sure if guards can make a big difference.
She told Waikato Times that she sympathises with school management having to deal with the legacy issues only a month into the job, but doesn’t feel the parents’ voices are being heard either.
During an urgent meeting called for parents and caregivers of year 7, 8 and 9 students on Thursday night, others in the community also showed up to voice their concerns and show unity.
The new management team had clear frustrations. With 21% - 26% junior students not regularly attending class, $15,000 spent on repairing vandalism and two major fights between students in two weeks, principal Thilo Govender said they need parents to step in.
The parents at the meeting, although of mixed experiences with the school, also had clear asks - keeping their children safe on school grounds.
There is no doubt from the meeting that parents heard great stories from their children about their classes - each subject is taught by specialist teachers from year 7, a speciality of the college according to Govender.
But there is also no doubt parents have questions on how will the school keep their children away from harm.
During the meeting, five parents shared their experiences of their children being bullied or hurt.
The school is still very fresh, two weeks into its first ever term, Govender apologised for the school’s poor response to past events, and asked parents for more patience and support.
Larger than expected enrolment, late enrolment and poor paperwork were the main reasons for broken communication and alleged poor management, she said.
In an email response to Waikato Times, Govender said with 150 students enroling late, staffing was impacted and processes in place were “thrown into disarray”.
“Our team is not inexperienced, nor are we ignorant about student dynamics.
“What we are aware of is the serious need to address the culture of what schooling has been like in the past in this area and the need to re-shape this so that the strategies we have in place will be able to have impact on improving student achievement in the future.”
Govender told parents at the meeting being Unable to visit the school site during last year’s preparation was another contributing factor.
“... you need to give us the time and the space to put the processes that we have done over all of last year but with very little access to our children.
“We weren't actually allowed to come on to the school sites, except for Mr Cook who did allow us to come and we made some good progress with those children,” Govender said at the meeting.
The mother said parents do have a responsibility, but the school shouldn’t put too much hope on changing those parents who can’t or aren’t willing to discipline their children.
“The parents and staff that were there last night were more victims than the actual parents of the kids that are playing up,” she said.
She said external organisations need to step in when parents aren’t helping the school out.
“[When parents refuse to engage] I feel like that's where an organisation needs to come in and will go to the parents house and really see what's going on behind closed doors.”
Many stood up during the meeting to express a willingness to support the school’s work, with one community member offering to patrol the school in their free time.
Prasad Kumal who has two children going to the school, said he was happy with how the teachers engaged with them after they recently moved from Dubai.
“In every school there’s issues like this. Ultimately it’s a society problem and (solving) it wouldn’t happen in one day, it’ll involve the school, the parents, and the kids. I have no issue of sending my kids back to school tomorrow.”