Rotorua Lakes High School principal praised for transparency over fight

Rotorua Lakes High School principal Jon Ward. Photo / File

Rotorua's newest principal is being praised for his transparency after posting publically on Facebook about a fight between two students at the school.

Rotorua Lakes High principal Jon Ward made the post on Wednesday evening.

In it, he asked students to think twice before posting and videos of the fight to social media.

He wrote doing so would "reflect more on the students' narrow-minded and negative approach to life", and would also cast a shadow over the positive results being achieved in the school.

Ward wrote: "We could as a school try to brush this sort of event under the carpet, in the hope that our community will not notice. I strongly believe that this is not the way to develop our students to reflect on what is right or wrong, appropriate or inappropriate."

In the post he encouraged parents to talk openly with their children about making positive decisions.

"I want them to talk about what they would do if witnessing an altercation. By influencing bystanders to act and stop things escalating, we can develop a better community for all our whanau," he wrote.

Ward told the Rotorua Daily Post the post came with a risk of linking the school to a negative event but ultimately it served the purpose of asserting what values were wanted for Rotorua Lakes High and the wider community.

"The fight was no different than any other fight in any other school throughout the country and was dealt with quickly and efficiently by staff," Ward said.

"But what I wanted to highlight was the role of bystanders around the edges of the pre-arranged fight.

"The post was made after a lot of thought about turning what had happened into something that could have a positive influence instead of a negative one.

"Social media, in itself, can have many positives if we make the right decisions."

The event, captured on the school's camera system, also showed a number of students actively encouraging what was happening, as well as videoing the fight on their cellphones.

The decision to acknowledge and inform the school and wider community about the fight had been popular with people congratulating the principal via Facebook.

Ward's post had garnered almost 200 likes and more than 30 comments - many thanking him for the transparent approach he had taken in regards to the fight.

One person wrote: "Fantastic response so transparent, and happy to take action."

Another said it was "refreshing" to have a transparent principal. Others also applauded .

"Well said. Better it is acknowledged and spoken about openly and parents/whānau are aware than kept quiet."

Ward said the feedback was "pleasing".

Ward said every school in the country had its own issues but said it was about educating families to have conversations that moved toward changing things happening in society.

"The people who were encouraging and filming the fight have been identified and are being spoken to," Ward said.

"On top of that were are having lots of discussions as a school, about making good decisions to effect good outcomes.

"Disciplinary action will also be carried with the students involved in the fight but I am not prepared to say what that will be."

Ward said students, as well as adults, made mistakes but it was crucial to learn from them and draw lessons that change behaviour for the positive in the future.