MANDY SMITH
An Australian psychologist says the level of violence in New Zealand schools is more extreme than across the Tasman, and interventions need to target children as young as four.
Dr Helen McGrath, author of "Friendly Kids, Friendly Classrooms", is in town for this weekend's conference of the New Zealand Resource
Teachers Learning and Behaviour Association.
"There are reports that teachers are being physically attacked but it hasn't got to that stage (where strike action would be taken)," she said.
"Clearly there have been issues, but not quite to the extent reported in the media here."
The topic hit the headlines last month when the Post Primary Teachers' Association threatened strike action over out-of-control students.
Dr McGrath, from Melbourne's Deakin University, says behaviour and learning problems hinder children's involvement in classwork.
"Then they tend to develop learned helplessness, where they basically give up before they even start."
Traditionally, teachers used punishment to deal with unruly children.
But that doesn't curb bad behaviour says Dr McGrath, who has worked with "hundreds" of Australian schools, using evidence-based techniques that focus on fostering problem children's strengths.
Unless disabilities were addressed early on, children were more likely to be involved in crime, unemployed and have children out of wedlock when they grew up, she said.
"The earlier you start doing the approach the better." Dr McGrath said New Zealand and Australian teachers were ahead of the US in their behaviour management practices, but more training was needed at university level.
