St Benedict's School in Khandallah, Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell
St Benedict's School in Khandallah, Wellington. Photo / Mark Mitchell
The Ministry of Education is not considering taking further action over allegations of “persistent bullying and harassment” between children at a Wellington primary school, despite parents saying their concerns have not been taken seriously.
The Education Review Office (ERO) is currently reviewing StBenedict’s School as part of its normal review cycle. The Herald has seen an email from ERO to one of the parents who voiced concerns about bullying that says it will be discussing this with the school leadership as part of its evaluation.
The school has emailed a letter to parents following both stories the Herald has published about the issue.
The latest letter from school board presiding member Lucy Woollaston said they understood these families felt let down by the school and they were “truly sorry” for that.
Woollaston said they have been in close contact with a Ministry of Education representative, who assured them the ministry had no concerns with the school’s management and board.
The representative believed the board was doing all it could to balance family concerns with its obligations to students and its employment obligations, Woollaston said.
Ministry of Education south leader Nancy Bell told the Herald the ministry was taking a “proactive interest” in the school’s actions and response to complaints to ensure it was working effectively towards a resolution.
This included making sure the school knew what support was available, helping to engage with complaints if required, and following up on any actions the school has agreed to undertake.
St Benedict's School board maintains incidents were not ignored at the time, investigations were undertaken and there were consequences where appropriate. Photo / Mark Mitchell
“We believe the school board has taken the complaints seriously and responded appropriately with support from the NZ School Boards Association and has put steps in place for school-wide improvements such as new bullying programmes,” Bell said.
The ministry was not considering further action at this stage, she said.
Bell noted all schools in Aotearoa were self-governing through their boards and were required to have a formal complaints process.
The ministry expected complaints to be responded to and if parents or caregivers were unhappy with the outcome of that process, they could raise it with the Ombudsman who may investigate further, Bell said.
Bell confirmed the ministry became aware of a concern at St Benedict’s when it received two complaints in December 2023.
“All reports of bullying are concerning, and we would encourage any parent or caregiver who believes their child has been subject to bullying at school to raise it formally with the school board or they can contact their local Te Mahau office for advice and support.”
The ministry has since received one further complaint in April this year.
The Herald is aware of at least two complaints made to the Teaching Council.
Education Minister Erica Stanford says any allegations of bullying are concerning, every child should feel safe, included, and valued while at school. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Teaching Council deputy chief executive Clive Jones said he could not share whether the council had received any further mandatory reports or complaints regarding a specific teacher or school.
“While the Teaching Council strongly supports the principles of open justice and the need to allow scrutiny by the media and public, we also have a duty to safeguard the rights of teachers subject to the powers of the New Zealand Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal.”
Jones made assurances that the council handled each complaint with care and was committed to keeping schools and kura safe and enjoyable learning environments.
Education Minister Erica Stanford has not received any further correspondence since a parent wrote to her in May with bullying concerns at the school.
“I have received assurances from the Ministry of Education, that the board has responded well to the initial complaints and taken steps for school-wide improvements”, Stanford said.
“Any allegations of bullying are concerning, every child should feel safe, included and valued while at school.”
Stanford said ultimately although this was a matter for the school’s board and leadership team, it was her expectation these sorts of concerns were taken seriously.
Georgina Campbell is a Wellington-based reporter who has a particular interest in local government, transport, and seismic issues. She joined the Herald in 2019 after working as a broadcast journalist.
