Today in our series about the neediest children, Elizabeth Binning reports on expulsion and exclusion in schools
New Zealand's richest and poorest schools expel students at roughly the same rate - but overall, fewer students are being expelled as teachers look for other ways of dealing with troublesome children.
The most recent Ministry of Education statistics available show decile one schools expel 2.2 in every 1000 students, roughly the same rate as decile 10 schools which expel 2.1 in every 1000 students.
The results are surprising, as many people see bad behaviour as being a low-decile school problem and not something with which students from wealthier families are usually associated.
Secondary Principals' Association president Patrick Walsh said decile 10 schools did not have as many students who engaged in "matters of gross misconduct or continual disobedience", while decile 1 schools had been working hard to address their rates in recent years.
"With decile ones it's them realising the diverse nature of their students and then putting in place more robust programmes to deal with that."
But, although the gap between the very top and very bottom is slight, expulsion rates do conform to stereotypes for other decile schools.
Overall, lower decile schools expel up to four times as many students as do higher decile schools. Decile 2 schools have the highest rate of 4.6 in 1000 students while decile 6 expel only 0.7 in 1000.
Education Minister Anne Tolley said expulsion rates were quite low and had been decreasing for some time.
Expulsions (for students 16 and over) have reduced by 38 since 2000 and exclusions (students under 16) have dropped by 177.
Mr Walsh believed that was in part schools listening to messages from the community that it is best to try to keep students engaged in learning.
"I think one of the key messages schools are getting now is that exclusion doesn't work. Not only for the school but for society."
"They are picking up information from the youth court justice system that a lot of these students who are excluded ... although it might solve the problem for the school, it often sets those students on a track of serious criminal offending which is costing the taxpayer and society a lot of money."
Many schools the Herald spoke to say they now look at other ways to deal with problem students - such as using restorative practices which bring families, school staff and students together to deal with the issues collectively.
Some schools say targeted programmes, improving teaching in the classroom so students are more interested and participating in the Ministry's Student Engagement Initiative has also helped reduce rates.
At De La Salle College - a decile 1 school which didn't expel any students in 2008 - acting principal Brian Evans said a strong pastoral care system and emphasis on restorative justice helped keep rates down.
"We work through a large process with students to try and make sure we can keep them here."
The school also made some changes about five years ago in which a real focus was put into the classrooms to ensure lessons were well prepared and fun for students. The result was a dramatic reduction in the number of stand-downs.
"Great teaching got rid of probably about 80 to 90 per cent of our daily problems."
Mr Evans teaches his students that a low decile ranking has nothing to do with behaviour, and shouldn't stop them from striving for the top.
"We compare ourself with the top boys' schools in New Zealand ... [A decile ranking] is no reflection on our values or how you behave."
SEEKING ANSWERS
Saturday: Alternative education.
Teens in Third World schooling
When the mainstream model doesn't fit
A far better alternative to dropping out
Monday: Truancy and dropouts.
School dropout levels fall over past 10 years
Tuesday: Issues of transience.
Message sinking in: switching schools bad for kids
Absenteeism often cry for help
Transient students struggle to catch up
Wednesday: Who kicks kids out?
Second chance works well for student
Expulsion seen as tool of last resort
Aorere strives to improve record
Thursday: What can be done?
Help for those who fall through cracks
Trust moves in well before students get out of control
Schools can't do it all on their own
