Remove troubled pupils, says principal

The leader of the country's secondary school principals wants violent pupils removed from schools and has challenged the view that every child has a right to a mainstream education.

Graham Young, president of the Secondary Principals' Association, says schools are increasingly having to act as social welfare agencies.

He believes it is time to ask whether teenagers with serious behaviour problems should be educated separately.

"The basic assumption that every teenager is fit to be educated in a mainstream secondary school should be debated," he said.

"Schools are not mental health facilities and whilst the child exhibiting these gross behavioural disorders are more often than not victims, the question that has to be asked is whether a school operating six hours a day for 38 weeks of a calendar year is the right environment for managing or modifying such behaviour."

Schools could be expected to deal with some degree of bad behaviour, but should not have to decide which severe behavioural problems they should not have to deal with.

Mr Young said one option worth debating was setting up separate schools. "I'm not talking about locking them behind closed doors and giving them shock treatment.

"But teachers are teachers, not mental health specialists.

"If schools don't draw the line about what behaviour is acceptable and manageable, they will become little more than social welfare agencies, and those who can afford it will find other ways of schooling their children."

Education Minister Steve Maharey said dealing with behavioural difficulties was one of his priorities and the aim was to ensure schools had the support they needed to reduce disruptive behaviour.

He invited Mr Young to discuss with him removing such children from mainstream schooling.

Survey results given to the Post Primary Teachers' Association annual conference in Wellington yesterday revealed a rising tide of violence from students toward teachers.

Nearly half of the secondary school teachers surveyed said student behaviour had deteriorated in the past year to such an extent it was a health and safety issue for teachers.

Their union urged the Government to put more resources into dealing with difficult children.

National Party education spokesman Bill English said the philosophy of including every child in mainstream schooling did not work when behaviour became extremely disruptive.

"Our society can't, and shouldn't, expect teachers to deal with threatening knife-wielding students.

"The schools aren't responsible for it, they're there to teach. School just doesn't work for some people, and we should stop pretending it does.

"We aren't writing them off - they can still get an education but in a context that works for them."

He said there were already alternatives, such as alternative education programmes and charitable groups, which could be used more.

PPTA president Debbie Te Whaiti told the conference the students should not be alienated or isolated from schools, but extra help and money were needed to deal with them.

"There is simply no way around this if teachers are to continue to do their jobs in an increasingly fractious and risky environment."

She said student violence was deterring people from choosing teaching as a career.

Under mainstreaming at schools, parents have the right to send their child to their local school.

The Ministry of Education gives support for children with extra needs. This includes special education grants and teachers who specialise in children with learning and behaviour problems.

It spends $70 million a year on specialist resource teachers, and $22 million a year to support children with severe behaviour problems.

In the Budget last year, the Government gave $9.5 million over four years to help tackle disruptive behaviour.