Latest news with #PatNewman
RNZ News
7 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Parents could be prosecuted for truancy, but principals say it won't work
"The previous government ceased to pursue prosecutions, I think that was a mistake," David Seymour says. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Parents who repeatedly refuse to send their children to school are more likely to be prosecuted as the government cracks down on truancy, but principals say prosecution is not the solution. A primary school principal in Whangārei had earlier called for exactly this - in 2019 Hora Hora primary's Pat Newman called for more prosecutions for parents who deliberately fail to send their kids to school. But six years on, he had changed his mind. Newman told Morning Report prosecuting parents wouldn't work. "This move, in my view, is about looking tough rather than actually doing something effective about it. Attendance is just a symptom, it's not a cause. "I listened to the Minister this morning and he said it's not about punishing children, but if you are talking about fines of up to $3000 a day, then I can't see how that's not actually punishing children." Hora Hora primary's Pat Newman. Photo: RNZ / Sam Olley When asked why the change of heart, Newman said he called for prosecution in 2019 out of frustration, but had since embarked on a "really successful campaign". "It's about communities and families and looking at how we can get these kids to school. It's about kids not at school because they are shifting because of the house rentals, or shifting because of jobs. "Threatening to fine people, what are we going to do when we go from $300 a day to $3000, do we put them in jail then?" Newman said the government should give schools the truancy budget money and let the them do "something effective". "We are already running two buses at our own cost to get kids to school... to help kids who can't get to school, get to school." If given extra money Newman said he would put on more buses, which was helping attendance at his school. Principal of Kaitaia College Louise Anaru told Morning Report the schools and communities were best placed to make decisions about truancy. "I think it's not a one size fits all. "For our school for instance, what works for our communities and where we get the best engagement is when we all sit around the table together with our parents, whānau, student and we come up a really robust attendance plan together." In the 16 years Anaru had been a principal, she said had not come across a situation where a prosecution was necessary. She said she had also not come across people calling for the prosecution of parents. Associate Education Minister David Seymour says the Ministry of Education is proactively contacting schools and truancy officers. Photo: RNZ / Samuel Rillstone Associate Education Minister David Seymour said the Ministry of Education was proactively contacting schools and truancy officers to ensure parents condoning truancy were referred to the Ministry to be considered for prosecution. The rules were not changing, but the government was ramping up enforcement because schools and truancy officers said it was needed, Seymour said. "There are some parents who just refuse to cooperate, don't care about their kids' futures, and the people working at the coalface have told me it would be helpful if they had another sanction that they could bring into play." They wanted a "coercive power" that would ensure parents took school attendance seriously, Seymour said. No parent had been prosecuted for refusing to ensure their kids attended school for more than five years, he said. "The previous government ceased to pursue prosecutions, I think that was a mistake," he said. "We're making it clear that the Ministry of Education is back in business and will respond to requests from schools to take prosecutions." When a parent is referred to the ministry for condoning truancy, staff would decide whether to prosecute, and it would then be a matter for the courts, he said. Parents faced fines of up to $300 for a first offence and $3000 for a second or subsequent offence. Seymour said 90,000 students were chronically absent. "We are not going to prosecute the parents of 90,000 students. This is an option for people working at the frontline ... if they have someone who is more of a 'won't' than a 'can't'." The ministry would not prosecute parents of students who were "genuinely engaging" with the school, or those who were absent because of chronic illness or health conditions associated with a disability. Sign up for Ngā Pitopito Kōrero , a daily newsletter curated by our editors and delivered straight to your inbox every weekday.
NZ Herald
08-05-2025
- Politics
- NZ Herald
Proposed social media ban for under-16s gains support in Northland
NetSafe had expressed concern around how the ban will work and what the ramifications could be for youth. In Northland, Tai Tokerau Principals' Association spokesman and Whangārei principal Pat Newman was fully supportive. 'We know that in Whangārei we've had teenage suicides as a result of bullying on the internet.' He said some children had been 'scared stiff' to attend school because of cyber-bullying. Newman believed social media allowed for a disconnect that made it easy for young people to write 'nasty, vindictive things'. Children as young as 11 were sending explicit images through social media platforms, too. 'It's easy to send photos of yourself that in 10 years you may not want people to have seen.' Newman said children as young as 9 were organising fights online. The issue came to light in the media last year when a 14-year-old was left with a concussion and other injuries after a violent assault at the Fireworks Spectacular event. The video, circulated widely on social media, showed the boy being kicked in the head. Two students were also assaulted at Kerikeri High School last month, with principal Mike Clent concerned a video of the fight may have been circulating online. Newman believed social media encouraged 'inappropriate adult behaviour' to be undertaken by youngsters. 'We would not let a 10-year-old hop behind the wheel of a fast car and drive off without anybody supervising them,' he said. 'Yet we let them play with and use something just as lethal.' Newman acknowledged social media was a valuable tool in the right hands but people under 16 were still developing. Principals were doing all they could to educate and prevent harm but Newman said a level of responsibility needed to come from parents as well. Netsafe chief executive Brent Carey said Australia's Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Bill was an example of legislative gaps. 'Our decades of work in this space have shown us the multifaceted nature of these challenges, and effective solutions typically require a more nuanced and long-term approach.' Carey said implementation of the bill and subsequent challenges were of significant concern. Some challenges with Australia's ban included exemptions for platforms like messaging apps, online gaming platforms and services for health and education. 'Such exemptions could lead to inconsistencies in online safety measures and potentially shift risks to less moderated environments.' He said the Australian Human Rights Commission had concerns the ban was a 'blunt instrument' that could inadvertently harm young people by cutting access to support networks. Whangārei Intermediate School learning support co-ordinator Christine Thomson supported the ban. She had observed that students between 10 and 13 years old frequently used social media without supervision. Thomson had seen situations where students had spoken to people posing as teens. Fights were also organised, filmed and posted 'immediately' online, she said. Cyber-bullying had driven some students to be so anxious they avoided school altogether as well. Thomson said the problem was difficult to fully police as pages or groups that were shut down often resurfaced under new profiles. Serious incidents were often reported to Netsafe or police, where required. She felt students were too young to fully understand the responsibility social media use required. Brodie Stone covers crime and emergency for the Northern Advocate. She has spent most of her life in Whangārei and is passionate about delving into issues that matter to Northlanders and beyond.
