Corporal Punishment not a Private Matter

green-party

Mon Mar 02 2009 13:00:00 GMT+1300 (New Zealand Daylight Time)

Corporal Punishment not a Private Matter

Monday, 2 March 2009, 5:18 pm
Press Release: Green Party

2 March 2009

The Green Party is concerned by the findings of a Law Commission report
which suggests private schools are unchallenged over use of corporal
punishment.

"It seems bizarre that private schools can be considered above the law
of the land, especially when they get $40 million of state funding a
year and are expected to meet modern standards in all other ways," Green
Party Education Spokesperson Catherine Delahunty said.

"It is even more illogical - given the changes to section 59 of the
Crimes Act - that any school would be able to act inconsistently with
the ban on corporal punishment."

Law Commission President Sir Geoffrey Palmer's foreword to the Private
Schools And The Law report shows private schools inhabit a grey area
legally and regulation has never had systematic attention.

More than 30,000 students attend New Zealand's 99 private schools and
they deserve the full protection of the law, Ms Delahunty said.

Non violence needed to be upheld in all homes and all schools and
regulations protecting all children applied across the board: "Private
schools can teach from their own philosophical perspective but we
believe the Ministry of Education has a duty to ensure all schools
receiving any level of state funding are safe and free from violence
against children."

* The Law Commission's report is available at:
http://www.lawcom.govt.nz/UploadFiles/Publications/Publication\_142\_420\_I
P12.pdf

ENDS

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