Growing parent-vetting brings call for caution

Many schools are already delving into the criminal history of parent volunteers to ensure students' safety, some principals say.

Children's Commissioner Cindy Kiro has called for mandatory police checks on parents volunteering for school camps, and Associate Education Minister David Benson-Pope has decided to consult with principals on the issue.

But schools say the checks are already happening.

Feilding's Lytton Street School principal, Geoff Lovegrove, said his school had been police-vetting parent volunteers for about three years, with no negative feedback from parents.

Riverdale School in Palmerston North also checks parent volunteers and is considering extending the practice to sports coaches.

Secondary Principals Association president Paul Ferris said yesterday schools would find it difficult to get parents to volunteer if background checks became mandatory.

"I'm concerned that people who have had incidents with the law in the past, which has no relevance to their ability to be engaged with their child's education, might be reluctant to come forward if they thought that was going to be a matter of record in the school."

Mr Ferris said many schools knew their communities, and would be able to make a judgment on parents wanting to attend camps, but if they were concerned, they had the right to make a check anyway.

- NZPA