November 12, 2019
Schools scarred by student trauma
Te Tai Tokerau Principals Association president Pat Newman says principals are still not getting the help they need to deal with children affected by trauma and abuse.
A survey of schools in the north has identified problems principals face on a daily basis.
More than a third of the principals dealt with incidents of self-harm.
In terms of student to student interactions, 87 percent of schools reported they had do deal with bullying, and there were also threats or acts of physical violence, intimidation tactics and the use of sexualised language.,
More than two thirsts of principals reported verbal abuse of teachers or teacher aides, and 38 percent reported physical violence on teachers.
Mr Newman says almost one in five principals believed that their health had been compromised by the stresses they faced, and the majority felt anger and frustration about the lack of resources to deal with behavioural issues.
While most were positive about specialist Child Health Services, a majority gave a negative rating to Child and Adolescent Mental Health: Te Roopù Kimiora, citing bureaucracy, poor communications and poor responsiveness.
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