Trip to Parliament kept students off demo

An Auckland college principal is using his airpoints to take a group of students to Wellington to speak with politicians about youth wage rates.

Takapuna Grammar principal Simon Lamb said he made a deal with students that if no-one went to the Radical Youth rally in Auckland then he would take three students to meet with Ruth Dyson and Steve Maharey in Wellington next Monday.

About 1000 students, many of whom were taking time off school, were involved with the protest, in which two people were arrested, on Monday afternoon.

The students were supporting a members bill from Green MP Sue Bradford, which would mean people under 16 would be eligible for the same minimum wage as adults.

"We had a lot of material circulated throughout the school from outsiders and at the end of last week we felt that a large number of our students intended to walk out," Mr Lamb said.

"Radical Youth even had buses pulling up outside our door to pick up our students and take them to town.

"While I support students' concerns about youth rates, I can't support students being absent from quality teaching and learning activities."

Mr Lamb said he spoke to year 11, 12 and 13 students about the power of speaking to people directly and acting with dignity.

"I suggested that there's a far more effective method of realising positive change and smarter ways of communicating your point of view than striking," he said.

Mr Lamb was making a trip to Wellington anyway so he offered to use his airpoints collected on a family holiday to take the students with him.

"From everyone's point of view it was win-win -- the students stay in class and get to put their point of view across really effectively," he said.

Radical Youth said the principal's action was a direct result of threatened strike action.

The group said other schools in Auckland tried to stop students leaving by placing a line of teachers between student and exits, and that some schools were punishing students who attended the rally.

- NZPA