Schools under fire over student hours

The Ministry of Education says two Northland high schools are acting illegally by opting to send more than 2300 students home to learn.

Whangarei Boys' High School -- 1170 pupils -- and Kamo High School -- 1225 pupils -- have prompted a ministry investigation after they decided to send students home to learn for five days spread throughout the year.

The schools' principals say it is the only way they can meet a requirement to give teachers more "non contact time" -- time spent without students.

Teachers use non-contact time to mark and prepare work, write reports and complete NCEA paperwork.

Under the secondary school teacher employment contract, all high schools must endeavour to provide five hours non-contact time for teachers per week -- up one hour from last year.

Ministry of Education Northland manager Chris Eve has sent faxes to the schools' board of trustee heads stating the ministry believed two laws had been broken:

* that the schools could not meet their obligation to teach 380 "half-days" if they sent students home for five days; and

* that the schools' boards were in breach of their role to ensure students attended school.

Associate Education Minister David Benson-Pope had asked for the investigation, saying he was not satisfied the two high schools had acted in the best interests of their students.

Mr Eve's letter asked for a plan of how the schools proposed to provide lessons to students for the required 380 half-days.

Whangarei Boys' High School headmaster Al Kirk and Kamo High School principal Richard Abel had earlier said they were forced to send students home, as alternatives such as upping class sizes and cutting subjects were not conducive to students learning.

Mr Kirk and Mr Abel could not be contacted for comment on Mr Eve's letter.

Dargaville High School principal David Bargh was critical of Mr Benson-Pope's earlier comments that the other two schools had ignored "quite sensible" options such as increasing class sizes or cutting subjects.

"You just can't make junior classes huge. It indicates a very superficial understanding of what goes on in schools."

Tikipunga High School principal Bernie Taffs believed the ministry was concerned that sending students home could set a precedent where schools would send students home if they could not get around "budget concerns".

Schools were suffering the consequences of a contracting arrangement they (the principals) weren't party to, he said.

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)