Pubdate: Thu, 10 Jul 2003
Source: Otago Daily Times (New Zealand)
Copyright: Allied Press Limited, 2003
Contact:  http://www.stuff.co.nz/otago
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/925
Author: NZPA
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/pot.htm (Cannabis)

MP'S SUGGESTION 'NUTS'

Wellington - A Green Party call for an independent body to review school 
decisions to exclude or suspend pupils is "nuts", Education Minister Trevor 
Mallard says.

Mr Mallard was commenting on Greens education spokeswoman Metiria Turei's 
suggestion after publicity about an Invercargill school excluding a 
14-year-old boy who admitted smoking cannabis.

Ms Turei wants an independent body to be established to review "potentially 
unlawful decisions" to exclude pupils. Her call follows an Invercargill 
youth advocate's plea for concerned families to force a change in the way 
James Hargest High School deals with problem pupils.

Former Southland Youth At Risk committee chairman Bob Simpson said the 
plight of the boy excluded by James Hargest last month was not an isolated 
case.

The James Hargest board of trustees decided to exclude Scott Irvine after 
he admitted smoking cannabis. The incident happened out of school time and 
away from the school grounds.

Scott was waiting for rugby practice to start and was not in school uniform 
at the time.

He was interviewed by a senior teacher three days later and admitted 
smoking cannabis.

Mr Simpson said the school's handling of the situation "was inappropriate".

"Their business is turning out happy, well-adjusted pupils. That's what we, 
as a community, give them millions of dollars to do."

Ms Turei said Scott's case was "another example of a school acting outside 
its statutory authority and taking extreme punitive action against a pupil 
without legal or educational justification".

Police have said Scott would likely still be at school if the incident had 
been handled through the justice system. He would have been dealt with by 
Youth Aid and probably received a warning, with no school involvement.

Mr Mallard dismissed the need for "a whole new legal system" to deal with 
such cases.

"In dozens of cases each year where parents aren't satisfied, they go back 
to boards and ask them to review their decisions.

"Several times each year, boards change their mind as a result of those 
decisions," he said. - NZPA
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MAP posted-by: Terry Liittschwager