Tauranga school incident: Knife pulled in student altercation

Tauranga police community constables responded quickly to a knife incident at a school in Tauranga today.

Two pupils have been removed from a Tauranga school after an incident allegedly involving a knife today.

In an email sent to parents and caregivers, the principal said there had been an “altercation” between two boys where one of them, a Year 7, pulled out a pocket knife and allegedly struck the other student on his forearm.

“This caused a minor injury and both boys’ caregivers have met with myself, school leaders and police constables who were notified as a follow-up,” the email reads.

The school cannot be named for legal reasons.

The principal said both boys were removed from the school for the remainder of the week. This would be followed up with a reintegration process assisted by the Ministry of Education and police community constables.

“The school has also taken steps to support students and staff who have been affected by this incident.”

A police spokesperson said officers attended and liaised with people at the scene.

“There was a report of an assault. No serious injuries were reported, and an ambulance wasn’t required.”

The principal told the Bay of Plenty Times the altercation between the two boys happened about 10.30am during the morning tea break near a toilet block close to the school office.

The principal said the boy with the pocket knife was a Year 7 student and the Year 8 boy allegedly had a “small nick taken out of his forearm”.

The incident was captured on a CCTV security camera, and one of the teachers was able to quickly defuse the situation. Both boys were taken to the school office.

The principal said the injured student was taken to Tauranga Hospital by his mother.

The principal appreciated the “quick response and support” of the police community constables, who were able to interview both boys at the school and speak to their caregivers.

The principal wanted to be open and transparent about the incident and was speaking to the Bay of Plenty Times to ensure accurate details of the incident were reported.

“A meeting will be set up with the boys and their caregivers next week to discuss their reintegration back into the school.”

The principal said the circumstances that led to the incident were still being investigated.