Nelson students among the best-behaved

The Nelson region's schoolchildren are among the best-behaved in the country, latest figures on stand-downs and suspensions show.

For the third year in a row, a Ministry of Education report showed Nelson schools - and now Tasman District as well - had the lowest rate of stand-downs, with 19 for every 1000 students.

A stand-down is the removal of a student from school for a maximum of five days.

Nelson also shared the lowest rate of suspensions with Otago - four for every 1000 students.

Tasman also had a low rate of seven for every 1000 students.

A suspension is the removal of a student from school until the board of trustees decides his or her fate at a special meeting.

The student can either be allowed back to school or expelled.

Boys made up 72 per cent of all suspensions and most were aged between 13 and 15.

Marlborough and Northland had the highest number of suspensions, with 12 in 1000 students.

The West Coast had the most cases of stand-downs, with 45 in 1000 students.