A video taken after a school stabbing shows a teacher being wheeled into an ambulance while shocked students watch on.
“No f***ing way. I feel really bad, I actually feel bad for him,” a student can be heard saying in the video.
The Herald understands the teacher suffered minor neck and arm injuries.
A young student has been referred to police Youth Aid Services.
Parents who spoke to the Herald have expressed frustration with how Tūākau College handled the lockdown last Thursday, and are now considering moving schools.
A mother, who wished to remain anonymous as she may be unenrolling her child, said the school’s communication “p***ed a lot of parents off”.
“It’s a mess ... I don’t want my kid going back there.”
The school posted a message on its website just before 10am on Thursday, urging people to stay away from the school.
“Please DO NOT come to the school or phone the school,” it wrote.
A letter from the school board was sent to parents in the afternoon.
“The staff member was taken to hospital as a precautionary measure and has received timely and appropriate care and, given the circumstance, is doing well.
“The student involved ... has been located by authorities and is also receiving the attention and support that they need at this time,” the letter said.
The Ministry of Education traumatic incident team would be working with the school, the letter said, and the guidance team would be available for students.
The mother said the situation would have been better for parents if the email felt more sincere and honest, instead of “sounding like one of those bloody PC responses from a politician”.
The parent described the school as “disjointed” and said students experienced bullying and violence.
“This is the extreme version, but there are fights every other day in that place.”
The Herald has made numerous inquiries to Tūākau College, however, no response has been given.
In a school newsletter last month, principal Chris Betty suggested violence was a known issue within the school.
“We have had a few incidents where students still think it is alright to use physical violence to deal with a dispute,” he wrote in last month’s e-bulletin.
“Students have all been given a clear message that it is totally unacceptable to use physical violence. I can assure the school community that we will not tolerate this and will use the tools given to us to deal with such issues.”
He said the school uses stand-downs and suspensions to resolve issues, as well as getting students together.
“One thing we will not waver from, is that this school is going to be a safe learning environment for all students.”
Social media comments from a year ago also describe students experiencing severe bullying, fighting, and harassment at the school.
The principal is currently finishing his last term in the role, with his farewell postponed due to the incident, according to the letter sent to parents.
Long-time educator Donna Tupaea is taking over as principal in term two.
Deidre Alderson, director of education Tāmaki Makaurau, said, “The ministry’s traumatic incident team is actively supporting the school and will remain available for as long as they are needed.”
The traumatic incident team can help schools understand the emotional and psychological impacts of a traumatic incident. It also helps develop appropriate processes so the school can return to normal operations as quickly as possible.
“As the matter is being managed by police, we will not comment further,” Alderson said.
Witness Jae Jae Page said he was aware of multiple parents who planned to unenroll their kids.
“I know three mum friends that I’ve spoken to ... and they’re like, ‘oh no, our kids are not going to school today’. And they’re contemplating whether they’re going to go back at all.”
Page, who was parked outside the school at the time of the lockdown, saw “a whole lot of children running and screaming”.
He heard a woman yell out “stabbing” while three police cars and an ambulance arrived and drowned out the lockdown sirens.
He also heard a student walk outside and say, “He attacked the teacher”.
Another mother said the teacher who was injured was “a good teacher too, so a lot of students and parents don’t understand how this even happened”.
Sammy Carter is a journalist for the New Zealand Herald covering news in the Wellington region. She has previously worked at the Rotorua Daily Post.