Teacher: ‘I won’t break up a fight’

Physical restraint laws making teachers feel ‘powerless’
Stuff co.nz 11 September 2018
Family First Comment: First they came and undermined parents. Now the government is undermining teachers. And it will all end in tears – and a violent undisciplined society.  “Teachers were doing what they thought was right and “that’s the important part, but sometimes that’s forgotten when they’re investigated”, he said.”

Some primary school teachers are refusing to break up fights between students for fear of being investigated.

More than 2000 incidents of teachers restraining primary students have been reported since the new physical restraint laws came into force a year ago – an average of 13 reports a day.

When Amy Cunningham, a teacher at Rowandale School in south Auckland, broke up a fight in her classroom, she was asked to follow protocol and report it to the Ministry of Education.

The thought of her actions going on the record troubled her for weeks until her principal reassured her that it was part of the process.

Since then, she’s decided to never touch a child to break up a fight.

“I would stand in the middle of it so that it’s me that would take the hits,” she said.
READ MORE: https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/106952559/physical-restraint-laws-making-south-auckland-teachers-feel-powerless?cid=app-iPhone