Hundreds of students banished for bad behaviour

More than 1200 students aged under 16 have been banned from schools this year because of out-of-control behaviour.

Education Ministry figures showed 1205 students had been banned or "excluded" for the year to September 23. However, some had slipped through the system and were unaccounted for, the figures show.

Of the 1205 students excluded, two were "untraceable" and 13 had been "referred to a tracing agency".

A further 39 per cent had enrolled at a new school, 5 per cent had returned to the suspending school, and 8 per cent were studying by correspondence.

The remaining students awaiting ministry or school action had either applied for an early leaving or home schooling exemption, left the country, or turned 16 and may have chosen to leave school.

Ministry southern region acting student support manager Sean Wheeler said a school's board of trustees made the decision to exclude a student and was initially responsible for finding alternative education.

If its attempts to place the student elsewhere failed, the ministry 's student services division took over, Mr Wheeler said.

A meeting was then held between the school, the child's parents and any other relevant agencies, such as the police, Child, Youth and Family and mental health services, to decide on how to get the child back into education.

In extreme cases it could take a term to find a suitable place for the child, Mr Wheeler said.

In the case of secondary school students, this could mean joining a correspondence school or taking part in "alternative education" programmes, he said.

Last year 1432 students were excluded from schools around the country and 1490 students were excluded in 2003.

EXCLUSION

What is it?

* The formal removal of a student aged under 16 from the school, with the requirement that the student enrol elsewhere.

When does it happen?

* For serious misdemeanours, such as recurrent drug-taking or dealing at school, extreme physical violence or a long history of disobedience.

- NZPA