Schools must tell parents of threats to children

School policies which prevent parents finding out if their child could be the victim of a potentially serious crime should be changed, says National’s Education spokesman, Bill English.

He is commenting on a report about a school which withheld from parents allegations by a child that she had been raped.

“In this case, the school eventually did the right thing and ensured that the child’s mother had access to the information,” he says.

“However, many parents would be appalled by comments from professionals that a policy of withholding such information is the right one.

“While health and education professionals may not always agree with parents’ reactions, in the end parents are legally and morally responsible for their own children.

“Almost all parents take their responsibilities seriously and they must be given information which is critical to their child’s welfare,” Mr English says.

“If parents don’t know, they can’t care”.

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