KEY POINTS:
Teachers want more pay to staff problem schools where pupils show "gangsta-style" behaviour.
A discussion paper, to be presented at the Post Primary Teachers Association national conference this month, says that recruiting teachers to many of the poorest, low-decile schools was proving difficult because of the behaviour of some pupils, the Dominion Post reported.
These high-risk or "damaged" pupils intimidated people, displayed "gangsta-style" behaviour at school, abused substances, bullied classmates and committed violence.
The paper recommended higher salary incentives for teachers who went to these hard-to-staff schools.
The paper also recommended a confidential at-risk index to identify schools that needed more staff and had problem pupils.
Findings of a survey on anti-social behaviour at schools in the Wellington area would be presented at the conference.
The Ministry of Education said it would not comment on the paper's recommendations until it had seen the paper.
- NZPA
