'Social devils' haunt Bay kids, say principals

Witnessing a violent row. Two broken families becoming one. Fathers who don't keep in contact. Parents who binge on drugs and alcohol. Parents financially stressed.
These are just some of the "social devils" children as young as five are experiencing in the Western Bay - prompting primary principals to call for full-time counsellors in their schools to help deal with the problem.
Principals this week told the Bay of Plenty Times they had a need for more counsellors in schools to address serious social issues in the homes of some students.
These students, they say, are coming to school with "baggage" on their young shoulders. Others are turning up hungry and with little sleep.
Full-time services such as counselling are traditionally available only in secondary schools.
Tahatai Coast Papamoa School assistant principal Paul Johnson said there was "growing talk" amongst primary teachers for in-house counselling services to be made available to all students from the time they started school.
"A lot of behaviours once only seen at secondary level are just happening earlier," he said.
"Teaching observations show there is growing support for full-time trained specialists [at primary level]."
The Education Ministry does not provide primary schools with money for counsellors, although schools do have access to outside agencies.
Mr Johnson and five other Tauranga school chiefs the Bay Times spoke to have backed a national report issued and commissioned by the New Zealand Foundation for Character Education on student behaviour.
The report suggests deteriorating classroom conduct reflects the rising number of dysfunctional homes.
It said the family unit was not as strong, cohesive and functioning as it once was and the focus on raising children had weakened.
Foundation chairman Rod Galloway said too many teachers were dealing with students who were disruptive to learning processes and had no regard for the rights of others.
The principal of Gate Pa School, Richard Inder, agreed teachers often had to address students' emotional and social needs before getting on with what they were trained to do - teach.
"We are not trained social workers, we are educators," Mr Inder said.
Gate Pa shares a social worker with Merivale School, after "fighting" to get ministry funding to be able to offer one fulltime.
The principal of Otumoetai College, Dave Randell, agreed with part of the foundation report that said changes in the values systems of the community had come at a social cost.
"Schools are reflective of our society."
Mr Randell said the decline of the church and the family at the centre of the community had changed a lot.
For some young people, school was their only secure environment, he said.
Arataki School principal Dene Langley agreed, saying that for the six hours a day children were at school it was "our job to be their family".
"It's a time we leave that stuff at home," he said.
The report went on to say that the number of New Zealand parents who share an evening meal and spend time talking to their children is among the lowest in developed countries.
Declining marriage rates and increasing divorce rates now meant half of all New Zealand families were a blended unit, and statistics showed New Zealand had an epidemic of absent fathers.
Henk Popping, the principal of Otumoetai Intermediate, said "family issues" were becoming more prevalent and were the focus of most problems raised with school counsellors.
The Foundation for Character Education report identified New Zealand's progressively violent society as influencing classroom behaviour most.
Although many Kiwi families are doing a fine job, the combination of older, busier, and often emotionally, physically and financially stressed parents also had an effect.
Mr Galloway said he believed more New Zealand parents than ever before were unable to provide a home environment where children were safe, nurtured, and given clear moral guidance.
At Gate Pa, there are constant reminders to parents through the school newsletter, stressing the importance of basic social and family functions.
These include making sure children are fed well, arrive at school on time and are wearing the correct uniform.
Mr Inder said his school appreciated that being a parent in today's age was hard.
"Schools recognise bringing up children in the year 2007 is a complex thing ... We are supporting parents in need."