School's future in doubt after latest bashing

By BRONWYN SELL education reporter

The future of St Stephen's School is under threat after a violent attack on a 14-year-old pupil by a senior student sparked Government calls for its closure.

Maori Affairs Minister Dover Samuels said the assault could have been fatal and the Bombay Maori boys' boarding school should be closed because of its violent reputation.

Education Minister Trevor Mallard, who learned of the attack when the Herald contacted him on Tuesday night, said it followed a string of unacceptable incidents and had put the school's future in jeopardy.

The junior student was hit over the head with a pipe by a fifth former, in front of other students, in an attack in a school toilet block on Friday morning.

Police said the boy suffered an 8cm gash to his head and damage to an eye socket, and had spent a night in Middlemore Hospital.

The attack follows a February incident in which 23 senior students were suspended for beating junior boys during an initiation game.

The family of a 12-year-old victim have complained to police, who may charge four 17-year-olds with assault.

The victim of Friday's attack is recovering at home in Northland. His mother told the Herald yesterday that it was too soon to talk publicly.

After the attack a fifth-form boarder from the Bay of Plenty was suspended - pending a meeting of the school board's disciplinary committee tomorrow - and police are considering charges.

Mr Samuels visited the school after the February incident to urge students to stop the violence. "This is indeed the time to say: enough is enough," he said yesterday.

St Stephen's assistant principal Wiremu Doherty said Mr Samuels' comments were inflammatory and unfair. He did not believe violence was out of control. The school was a safe environment.

"It's an isolated incident. If you put it in perspective and take a snapshot of any school you are going to find similar incidents."

Mr Doherty said the actions of the fifth former had "bitterly disappointed" the other students as it created an image they were all "thugs," which was not true.

"He was held in pretty high esteem, but that was before this incident. Now it's a total different story. They are disgusted in his actions."

Mr Mallard yesterday received reports from the Education Review Office, the Ministry of Education and the police. He said he would seek more advice before making a decision on the future of the integrated school.

"When parents send their kids to school they quite rightly assume that the kids are going to be safe."

The police officer liaising with the school, Senior Sergeant Willie Hetaraka, said iwi liaison officers had been visiting it since the February incident. "It's a case of working through the issues with the boys."

The ministry national manager of operations, Ray Webb, said he would urge that a planned violence intervention programme be introduced quickly.

"Obviously, it's a very serious issue. The safety and wellbeing of the students is paramount."