SCHOOL TRIES NEW APPROACH TO OFFENDING

'Sorry' may seem the hardest word for some, but it plays an important role
in a new approach to student offending.

For the past two years Rotorua's John Paul College has been running a
restorative justice programme - with a focus on rebuilding relationships
rather than punishing students.

The programme involves a meeting between the offender and the victim.

At the meeting the victim talks about what happened and the offending
students apologise and generally do something to make up for what they have
done.

The facilitators, guidance counsellors Warren Lockie and Annette Bealing,
are adamant the programme, which came from Australia, is working, with no
repeat offending.

It's a programme that focuses on restoring relationships instead of blame
and retribution, Mr Lockie says.

"I don't think punishing them is the most effective way of changing their
behaviour. It often leads to bitterness and resentment or kids find more
sneaky ways to offend."

About 50 students went through the programme last year. Conflict between
students accounted for two-thirds of the cases while the rest involved
conflict between a student and a teacher.

In one case a student grabbed a $200 cellphone off another student and
smashed it on the ground.

The upset cellphone owner approached Mr Lockie who organised a meeting
between the two students. The cellphone owner told the offender how he felt
and the offender was asked to give feedback."The boy understood how his
behaviour had affected the victim. The boy apologised for that. He never
realised how devastating [it was for the victim] and he said he would pay
for the damage."

The victim, who does not want to be identified, told the Daily Post he
thought meeting with the boy who damaged his cellphone had helped both parties.

"He apologised to me and gave me the money to fix the phone. I got what I
wanted and he got what he wanted . If kids are stood down they get really
angry. If they get the restorative justice they feel a bit better."

While the students don't talk to each other the victim says they tolerate
each other.

Vandalism, fighting and bullying are some of the offences resolved through
the restorative justice programme.

Mr Lockie said this method did reduce the number of suspensions and
stand-downs but that was a by-product. However, restorative justice only
works if both parties want to be involved.

Sometimes the parents are also included in the meeting but the counsellors
find that most students would rather resolve problems without their
families' involvement.

Most of the time there is no need for the parents to be involved, Mrs
Bealing said.

Although the programme has been a success, the school had to stand-down 19
students last year, 11 of whom had been drinking alcohol before a school
social.

Principal Patrick Walsh said the school did not give out 'Kiwi' suspensions
as some other schools did.

A Kiwi suspension, which is illegal, can involve a principal advising
parents to remove a student from the school either short-term or
permanently without any official record being made.

"Schools do that for administration expediency and in an attempt to hide
their disciplinary problems," Mr Walsh said.

Although the majority of the principals released last year's figures some
were reluctant.

Taupo-Nui-A-Tia College principal Graeme Ryan questioned why the Ministry
of Education had to release the region's figures as it did nothing to
support schools.

"The ministry seems to suggest that schools that use these measures are bad
schools when really schools are using them to keep students safe."

Mr Ryan said students at his school were stood down or suspended only as a
last resort.

His colleague at nearby Tauhara College, Peter Grant, said schools needed
more resources for the "social work side" of school which may in turn
reduce suspensions and stand-downs. Taupo has one truancy officer working
20 hours a week covering 20 schools.

Meanwhile, drugs continue to be responsible for the highest number of
suspensions.

Many of the students stood down or suspended at Trident High School in
Whakatane had either supplied or smoked drugs and while principal Peter
Tootell would like there to be no cannabis in schools he said that "might
be a bit of a pipe dream".

"The drugs are readily available. I'm aware of kids who go home to a drug
environment."

Of the stand-downs at Whakatane High School two were for squirting a
chemical on some students' lunches.