Samuels lays down bullying law

By REBECCA WALSH

Drop the macho image and leave your ego on the rugby field, was Maori Affairs Minister Dover Samuels' advice to students at troubled St Stephen's School.

He told them their school was in crisis and could face closure after new allegations of bullying.

"You must put a stop to this violence once and for all," he urged.

The minister spent several hours with students at the Bombay school, singing, playing guitar ... and laying down the law.

"I and other members of Parliament have had continuous correspondence from parents, teachers and members of the community about their sons being battered, bruised and beaten by seniors of this school," he said.

Twenty-three St Stephen's students were suspended last month after a violent game of hide-and-seek in which junior boys were beaten, kicked and hit around the ears.

Since then 12 students have been withdrawn from the school by their families.

Mr Samuels told the 125 students, staff, parents, members of the trust board and board of trustees that the school was at a crossroads.

"The Government wants a plan from St Stephen's about how its problems are going to be fixed - a specific plan to address supervision, safety, counselling and a guarantee that no further bullying will occur at this school."

Mr Samuels told students they should leave the "big ego and the macho image" on the rugby field. "Come back and get into your books."

He said media reporting of events at the school had sometimes been incorrect and inflammatory. If Maori did something wrong it was splashed across the front pages of newspapers.

"If Pakeha do something wrong you won't even find it in the birth, deaths and marriages column of the New Zealand Herald."

Speaking afterwards, Mr Samuels said the school was a Maori icon and he hoped it would be resurrected.

He believed senior students were the key to ensuring change by setting an example and caring for younger and more vulnerable students.

But many students came from dysfunctional families where violence was common.

"To expect the board of trustees to wave a magic wand and fix it all up is too much."

Principal Ngareta Timutimu said bullying was an issue for many schools, particularly boarding schools.

"What matters is we have had it happen here and we are not happy with it. It's not acceptable."

She hoped the latest problems would lead to the school's being given "realistic" resources.

Twenty-four-hour schooling and learning required a 24-hour budget.

"When things get hyped up you lose track of the real issues," she said. "There are other things that need to be linked back to Government policy and to ourselves as Maori ... we are still not in the driver's seat. We need to get in the driver's seat because Maori people will own what they are doing and take better responsibility for it."

Trust board chairman Pita Cherrington said he had every confidence the school could change - "it has to change."