School bullying levels a disgrace - Human Rights Commission

Chief Human Rights Commissioner David Rutherford is calling on the Government to focus on the high level of school bullying. Photo / Supplied

The Government needs to reduce the level of school bullying, which is a disgrace and among the worst in the developed world, the Human Rights Commission says.

"While the new Government has many policies targeted at addressing some key issues, reducing bullying in New Zealand schools does not appear to be an area of focus yet," chief commissioner David Rutherford said.

"We are still amongst the worst in the developed world and we need to do something about that now.

Rutherford's comments followed today's release of a report by the monitoring group for the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which called for children to be at the heart of the Government's policy and law-making.

The report, called Getting It Right, The Children's Convention in Aotearoa, said that too many children faced "unacceptable levels of abuse, neglect, violence and racial bias".

It makes three recommendations, which the Government can put into place immediately:

• Make children's rights and needs the centre of policy and legislative reform. Identify where children's rights are not being met, what needs to be done, who will do the work, when it will happen and how the work will be monitored.

• Allocate responsibility and resources to co-ordinate the implementation of the Children's Convention across government.

• Ensure children and young people's views are taken into consideration in the development of legislation and policies.

Rutherford welcomed the report, but said the state could be more supportive of anti-bullying programmes.

"Education Ministers have recognised for decades that the level of bullying in our schools, compared to other OECD countries, is a disgrace.

"Until there is a visible reduction in our bullying rates, UN Human Rights bodies will continue to want to know why the introduction of anti-bullying programmes, proven to work in New Zealand and overseas, have not been supported by the state."

The Child Poverty Action Group also welcomed the report, saying New Zealand had neglected the principles of the UN Convention, which it ratified in 1993.

"We absolutely can do better to support the rights of children in New Zealand," said CPAG co-convenor Janfrie Wakim.

"We agree the Children's Convention needs to be implemented across government, and children's rights must be at the centre of government policy and reform, so that all children in Aotearoa-New Zealand can flourish."

Children's Commissioner Judge Andrew Becroft said he would publish an annual report card, starting in April 2018, on the Government's compliance with the convention.

"Seventy per cent of our children do well, and some do outstandingly well. But 20 per cent are struggling, and 10 per cent do as badly, if not worse, than most comparable OECD countries.

"All our children would benefit significantly from the convention, if fully applied, but especially those whose needs are not being met."