Local schools stumped by stats

Rotorua students more commonly receive higher forms of disciplinary action than the national average.

New figures suggesting Rotorua students more commonly receive higher forms of disciplinary action than the national average has left some local educators stumped.

The Ministry of Education released its 2014 statistics for the number of stand-downs, suspensions, exclusions and expulsions this week.

A stand-down from school is for a temporary period defined by the principal. These periods cannot exceed five school days in any term, or 10 school days in any year.

A suspension is the formal removal of a student from school until the board of trustees decides the outcome at a suspension meeting.

The board can lift the suspension, extend the suspension, or terminate the student's enrolment at the school.

According to the figures, Rotorua sat well below the national average for stand-downs in schools.

Nationally, 20 students per 1000 were stood down in 2014, while in Rotorua, 13.4 students per 1000 received the same punishment. However, the national figures of 3.7 and 1.4 for suspensions and exclusions respectively were comparatively low next to the Rotorua figures of 7.4 student suspensions and 3.1 student exclusions per 1000.

John Paul College deputy principal Ali McHugh said she could not understand why the Rotorua figures for suspensions and exclusions were higher than the national average.

"Following those lines of disciplinary action is never taken lightly by schools and all other options are explored before the decision is made to exclude or suspend a student. I am stumped as to why Rotorua figures for suspensions and exclusions are higher than the national average as we do everything in our means to rectify issues and re-engage troubled students before considering formal action."

Rotorua Lakes High School acting principal Jo Sturme said she was wary of the statistics as they "do not always give the full picture".

"It is not because schools in our area are lacking in student engagement, it can often be the case that one isolated incident, involving a number of children, can skew the results."

She said Rotorua Lakes High School did a lot to ensure students remained engaged with their learning. "We are constantly working on ... monitoring attendance and looking at the range of programmes we can offer and how it could be improved. You always have that small percentage of students who do struggle but we try to make formal disciplinary actions like suspension and expulsion the last resort ..."

Disciplinary rates per 1000 students

Rotorua

* Stand-downs: 13.4
* Suspensions: 7.4
* Exclusions: 3.1
* Expulsions: 1.1

Tauranga

* Stand-downs: 17.3
* Suspensions: 2.6
* Exclusions: 1.1
* Expulsions: 0.6

Taupo

* Stand-downs: 21
* Suspensions: 4.3
* Exclusions: 1.8
* Expulsions: 0

Whakatane

* Stand-downs: 14.5
* Suspensions: 5.8
* Exclusions: 1.1
* Expulsions: 0

National total

* Stand-downs: 20
* Suspensions: 3.7
* Exclusions: 1.4
* Expulsions: 1.2