Education
Libertarianz backs calls to remove violent pupils
"Violence has no place in schools," Phil Howison, Libertarianz Education Spokesman said today, agreeing with Graham
Young, president of the Secondary Principals' Association, that "The basic assumption that every teenager is fit to be
educated in a mainstream secondary school should be debated."
"The Ministry of Education enforces a one-size-fits-all approach on state schools,"The basic assumption that and many
students slip through the cracks. School can be an unpleasant place for kids who don't fit in," Howison says. "But
increasingly, schools can't even ensure the physical safety of students or teachers. It's simply unacceptable."
The Post-Primary Teachers Association, in a paper presented at their annual conference this week, recommended "...
restorative practices approaches ... to heal and restore relationships when they go wrong."
"How can I even describe this lunacy?" pondered Mr. Howison. "Minor assault, theft, vandalism, and serious threats occur
on a daily basis in most secondary schools. Many such incidents are never reported to teachers," Phil says, recalling
his recent experiences in state schools. "I once saw an explicit, blood-stained death threat against a fellow student
plastered on a vomit-encrusted toilet wall. The student responsible needed professional help, not a 'restorative
practices approach' to 'heal and restore relationships'!"
"To ensure the safety of teachers and students, offenders should face real consequences, not wet, politically-correct
programmes such as peer mediation, regarded as a joke by most students," Howison concludes. "The underlying problem is
the Ministry of Education's centralised control over schools, which denies freedom of choice for parents. Libertarianz
will separate schools from the state entirely, allowing real educational choices to parents and students."
"It's enough to make you vote Libertarianz!"
ENDS