You can’t always believe what you read

Hutt Valley High report shows you can’t always believe what you read

An ERO report looking at Hutt Valley High shows what the PPTA has been saying all along – it is a safe and settled school.

PPTA president Robin Duff was pleased with the outcome of the report, which followed a number of highly publicised bullying allegations.

The focus of the report was not on the incidents themselves, but whether the school was a safe environment for teachers and students.

According to the report ERO found the range of classes it observed to be “very settled” with classroom relationships between teachers and students “good natured and respectful”.

“Overall the picture they provided was one of a safe school,” the report reads.

This is a far cry from headlines claiming the school was unsafe and reaffirms the good work teachers have been doing that has been overshadowed by them, Mr Duff said.

The report itself backs this up by stating “despite the negative publicity about Hutt Valley High School, very few people came forward with evidence of, or major concerns about, anti-social behaviour”.

Mr Duff said the report showed a constructive and reasoned approach, offering suggestions for improvement as well as recognising work that was already being done.

Mr Duff hoped the report would encourage people to think twice before jumping to conclusions.

“We have to be careful with emotive media headlines and make sure they have actually got supporting evidence behind them,” he said.

While Mr Duff was pleased the report backed the school, he insists the PPTA still has zero tolerance of harassment and bullying in schools.
“This by no means stops or reduces the determinations of schools to provide the safest climate for their students,” he said.

ENDS

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