Fagging 'still a school problem'

By THERESA GARNER

A culture of "fagging" still exists in some some New Zealand boarding schools.

A Ministry of Education report into the safety and wellbeing of boarders reveals instances of children being beaten and bullied by senior students.

Senior students, counsellors, teachers, principals and parents were surveyed to help the ministry decide what regulations, if any, are needed in the sector.

There are at present no regulations relating to the welfare of the 10,000 students in the country's 108 boarding houses, but since 2001 the Government has had the power to regulate the sector.

Safety concerns were prompted by bullying and abuse which led to the closure of St Stephen's School, just south of Auckland, in late 2000.

Those surveyed indicated strong support for boarding hostels and were more likely to identify strengths rather than concerns.

Support for regulation was low, and fears the character of schools would be lost were high.

The report said that although a minority identified concerns, "each of the areas they named has the potential to impact significantly on the safety and wellbeing of boarding students".

This included the role of senior students and "the suitability of some students for the roles they were given - for example, their ability to handle 'power' and to the underlying rationale or 'tradition' behind the role adopted by or accorded to senior students".

"The practice of 'fagging', whereby younger students are at the beck and call of older or more senior students, was believed to be inappropriate," the report said.

Parents mentioned prefects exercising excessive power. One boy was assaulted four times in a year by seniors who were neither suspended nor expelled.

Another said: "There appears to be a commitment to stamping out the culture of senior pupils 'lording it' over junior pupils. However to date this is lip service only."

A prefect at one school said he was unable to do his job properly "because there are too many Government restrictions protecting the boys". Another said that a little bullying was necessary "to keep the natural order of things."

Drink can be a factor, said one student. "I am concerned when members of the form come back from night leave drunk and act in a violent way."

Counsellors were particularly concerned, with one report that some seniors thought they had the right to punish juniors. Another said that seniors were "actively encouraged" to bully the juniors to "keep order and control".

The report authors said the findings raised questions of what training and supervision should be given to senior students who oversaw younger students.

A working group has been set up in response to the report, which also recommended a code of best practice be considered as an alternative to regulations, the setting up of a model to help schools having trouble, and an independent complaints authority.

Brother Pat Lynch, of the Association of Proprietors of Integrated Schools, said he believed the fagging culture was "diminishing".

While there was a role for seniors to show leadership, "we can't simply presume 17- and 18-year-olds have the maturity to act in a supervisory role", he said.

Independent Schools of New Zealand director Joy Quigley said schools would be foolish to say there is no bullying.

"The important thing is to make sure it is educated against and actively discouraged."