School Bullying

Congratulations to Waiuku College student Slade Butler who led a walkout of a quarter of his school dissatisfied with the way the school was dealing with bullies - three whom had beaten him on the first day of school. The three bullies used a bottle and kicked him in the head after he was on the ground.

That so many students walked out is not a surprise. Here's an excerpt from the ERO Report from 2001:

"The management of student health and safety is a serious concern, particularly with regard to incidents of bullying and assault. Although the board has developed policies in these areas, they are not always consistently or effectively implemented by the principal or trustees. The number and nature of parent concerns highlights the seriousness of this situation."

Then the 2002 report is more positive, but still has concerns:

"The board does not yet have a clear policy to guide the management of serious incidents of misbehaviour." And "The school’s data on stand-downs and suspensions does not provide the board with adequate analysed information."

So after 6 years of not managing bullying properly, the school can only have itself to blame that so many students don't feel safe.