School restraint policy: Northland educator says Ministry of Education guidelines problematic

The new physical restraint policy requires staff to be trained before they can restrain a child and report the incident to relevant parties. Photo / 123rf

A Northland education leader says the new physical restraint policy makes schools and teachers involved feel like they are guilty of wrongdoing when in fact they are trying to protect staff and children.

Te Tai Tokerau Principals’ Association chairman Pat Newman says the policy introduced by the Ministry of Education creates a situation where educators have to prove their innocence.

The ministry dictated that as of yesterday every school must have a policy on stress reduction and the use of physical restraint.

Teachers must now receive physical restraint training in the form of an online learning module and have completed it by February 7. Those without training will not be able to restrain a child.

According to the ministry, physical restraint can only be used if it is necessary to prevent harm which includes emotional distress to the tamariki or another person; if no other option is available; and if the restraint is “reasonable and proportionate” in the circumstances.

If physical restraint occurs, a checklist must be followed and the principal, parents or caregivers, Ministry of Education and school board notified.

Further steps are then taken to meet with the family and identify whether a support plan is needed.

Newman said physical restraint a lot of the time had to be used to respond to children who were physically “quite violent” in order to ensure the safety of other children, teachers, and the student themselves.

“Schools are required under health and safety to protect their staff, to protect other children and staff as well.”

He noted that often families are the source of a child’s distress, therefore, putting teachers in a difficult and “unsafe” position.

“To be honest I think it would be a damn sight easier to say that we stand a child down permanently and let the ministry deal with it, it is their rules,” Newman said.

“If you have a fight going on in the playground, unless the person has had all the training they’re going to have to say, ‘Hold on kids, I’ll just call out for somebody that’s had the training’.”

Te Tai Tokerau Principals' Association chairman and Hora Hora School principal, Pat Newman. Photo / Michael Cunningham

There are major concerns around evidence that shows disabled tamariki are over-represented in the use of physical restraint in schools, particularly in residential specialist schools.

IHC has called for a complete end to the use of physical restraint in schools.

Director of advocacy at IHC Tania Thomas said often children considered to have poor behaviour were trying to communicate.

The issue was inflamed by a serious lack of resources for teachers that Thomas said enabled them to manage and de-escalate situations before physical restraint was required.

“I think there’s also some room to actually do more education around the needs of disabled children and their families,” she said, “there’s a lot of misunderstanding and miscommunication.”

“Schools have got to be resourced so that teachers get good training in positive behaviour support and de-escalation techniques.”

IHC’s director of advocacy Tania Thomas wants to see physical restraint in schools phased out completely.

Thomas said the ministry needed to make an effort to ensure the new guidelines were appropriately utilised.

Furthermore, data would illustrate who is being restrained and whether they’re disabled or not, she said.

“... If you want to reduce the use of restraint then people have to be trained in how to do that properly, and I suppose that’s why it’s important that the standards are monitored.”

Te Manihi Tumuaki Northland Secondary Principals’ Association chairman Alec Solomon said anytime a restraint is needed could be traumatising for the student and staff.

Solomon said restraint can be overused and a minimisation approach was at the forefront of educators’ minds.

He believed taking a “proactive” stance could reduce the use of physical restraint significantly.

Te Manihi Tumuaki Northland Secondary Principals’ Association chairman and Tikipunga High School principal Alec Solomon Photo / Tania Whyte

“If we resource the student’s needs, the chance of getting to the stage where the child has to be restrained would be significantly reduced if not diminished completely.

“The earlier a resource is invested, the longer and better return on that resource is,” he said.

Solomon considered the new policy as somewhat impractical in the day-to-day school world.

“As it is now, certain teachers can get the training but rarely do these things happen at times or places of convenience.

“The policy has to match up with day-to-day practicalities of school life,” he said.