Forty-nine
Rotorua students were
suspended from school
last year for possession
and smoking of drugs.
Ministry of Education
figures released to The
Daily Post showed
Rotorua high schools and
intermediate schools had
a combined total of 87
stand-downs, 129
suspensions, 43
exclusions and 10
expulsions.
The suspensions
included 49 for drugs.
Students were also
disciplined for physical
assaults on other
students and continual
disobedience.
Western Heights High
School had the highest
number of suspensions
in the Bay of Plenty so
far this year at 39, and
also had the highest
suspension rates last
year.
Principal Violet Pelham-
Waerea said while the
school's figures might
seem high, suspension
had proved to be one of
their most successful
tools to curb all
unwanted and serious
misbehaviours.
"Our parents want
Western Heights High
School to be safe for their
children. This process
has prevented us from
having to exclude or
expel students," Mrs
Pelham-Waerea said.
Through the process of
suspension, meetings
with parents, whanau
and community, the
school almost always
succeeded in
reintegration and
restorative outcomes.
"If this creates high
suspension statistics, so
be it," the principal said.
Rotorua Intermediate
suspended nine students
for drug-related offences
last year. The Daily Post
was not able to reach the
school for comment.
National Secondary
Schools Principals
Association president
Patrick Walsh, who is
also principal of
Rotorua's John Paul
College, said drug
problems in high schools
could start at primary
and intermediate level
and he wanted to see
stronger police
intervention.
"These are students who
are at greater risk of not
achieving and being
involved in criminal or
anti-social behaviour.
"The police have to come
down hard and prosecute
the parents because
they're clearly at risk."
Mr Walsh said
principals were mainly
concerned about attacks
on staff, weapons being
brought to school and the
increase in drug use.
Primary School
Teachers' Association
president Colin Watkins
disagreed that drug
involvement began at
primary school.
"It's a societal problem,
not a school problem."
Mr Watkins said he
thought while primary
school children may
have been From page A1
49 local student
drug suspensions
BY THE NUMBERS
exposed to parents who
took drugs, they weren't
as discerning at that age.
"It's starting at home, not
at primary school."
Nationwide figures show
nearly 100,000 students
have been stood down or
suspended from school
for drug use, verbal
abuse and physical
assaults since 2007.
Rotorua police area
commander inspector
Bruce Horne said drug
use was a problem in
every community in
New Zealand. Most
people who came to the
notice of police for
offending had drug and/
or alcohol issues and
young people were
particularly vulnerable
to that form of harm, he
said.
"Police support a
collaborative approach
and strongly believe that
it is important that all
members of the
community work
together to help address
the problem.
"The police role is
around enforcement and
we have a focus on
targeting individuals
and groups who are
involved in the
manufacture and
distribution of drugs."
Mr Horne said police
worked closely with
schools through the
Police Youth Education
Services (YES)
programme which
involved uniformed
police officers running
crime prevention and
safety programmes in
schools.
"Police also support pro-
active prevention
operations in schools
using drug detector
dogs," he said.
STUDENTS SUSPENDED FOR DRUGS
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