School exclusions still a concern
While results came out this week showing exclusions from schools are at their lowest rates in 12 years the issue is still a major concern. Youth Court judge Andrew Becroft made a plea to Boards of trustees to try to keep every child actively involved in education, before resorting to expelling or excluding troubled students.
Speaking at the New Zealand School Trustees Association's conference he told attendees that the exclusion of problem students only shifts their behaviour into the wider community.
"We know that about 35 per cent, we think, of young offenders before the youth court aren't at school - the research is clear that better than psychological intervention, better than counselling, better than most things is attendance at school," he told Radio New Zealand.
Participation and being engaged was a huge protective factor, he said.
He acknowledged that schools are now much better than they were 10 years ago.
"I think in the last 10 years, to be fair, there's been something of a sea change in the attitude within the whole education system, and schools are fighting really, really hard to retain people. I think that's a big improvement."
Judge Becroft commented that it is better to keep troubled children in mainstream schooling rather than moving them to alternative education.
"So many schools say to me we are up to that challenge, we will take those tough students, but at the moment we don't have enough resources."
While The Ministry of Education has said every school could cope, if they rationalised their spending the reality is that schools are already juggling with limited budgets and greater expectations from their stakeholders. If they rationalise their budget that means something else will give.
Ministry of Education Group manager Leo Trompetter says any decision to stand-down, suspend, exclude or expel learners is made by school boards, and must be reported to the ministry.
"Stand-downs may be ordered for up to five days, and can offer a positive opportunity to reduce tensions and reflect on behaviour."
He says when matters are not resolved, schools may opt to suspend a learner, with potential to escalate to exclusion (learners aged under 16) or expulsion (learners aged 16 or over).
"In the longer term though, it is widely recognised that punitive and exclusionary approaches to discipline do not bring about sustainable changes in behaviour. We know that pro-active partnerships with parents and keeping the focus on both achievement and behaviour are key," Mr Trompetter said.
The Ministry of Education's $60 million Positive Behaviour for Learning Plan, published in 2009, supports schools and parents in managing challenging behaviour.
It includes parenting skills training for 15,000 parents, focused positive behaviour training for 7240 early childhood and primary school teachers, the implementation of a school-wide approach to behaviour in 400 schools, a nationwide behaviour crisis response service, and a targeted intensive behaviour service for up to 100 of the most challenging learners. A new website wellbeing@school has been established to help schools share best practice in tackling poor behaviour.
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