Gang dad ban: Should schools do police checks?

Bob Stiles

Questions have been raised about whether parents volunteering to help at school camps should undergo police checks.

The discussion comes after a Whakatane man was banned from going on his son's school camp because he was an active gang member.

James Street School barred Skip Taitapanui from helping out with his son's future school camp because he was a gang member and Mr Taitapanui is now making a formal complaint about his exclusion.

Rotorua Principals Association president and Owhata School principal Bob Stiles said it was important children were safe on school trips.

"The most important thing is keeping our children safe," he said.

Mr Stiles said he had not vetted parents volunteering at his school and they did not have a policy on it.

However, it had been discussed recently at principal association meetings, he said.

Mr Stiles said now the issue had been raised, he expected several discussions about the idea to take place.

In an earlier interview with the Rotorua Daily Post, New Zealand Secondary Schools Association past-president and John Paul College principal Patrick Walsh said school camps were no place for active gang members.

Mr Walsh noted the idea of schools vetting volunteers to see if they have any criminal history, however if schools opt to check they must weigh up the impact of any offending occurring, he said.

"If all volunteers were vetted by schools, it may dissuade people from putting up their hand to help.

"The risk of having someone with a criminal background involved in a school camp might be low but if any offence occurred it would then be extreme."

According to the New Zealand police website, only approved organisations, not individuals, can use the Police Vetting Service.

To become approved, organisations must show that their staff care for children, older people, people with special needs or other vulnerable members of society.

Such organisations can register to use the system online and can submit vetting applications when needed.