by Bernadette May
New Ministry of Education Policy Reducing Distress and Use of Physical Restraint.
Tai Tapu School — June 1, 2023
By 7 May 2023, every New Zealand school must have a policy on reducing student distress and the use of physical restraint that has regard to the guidelines issued by the Secretary for Education under section 101 of the Act, including a process for managing complaints.
The legislation provides the platform and direction to understand, recognise and safely respond to ākonga distress, and to minimise the use of physical restraint.
All Kaiako, including the senior leadership team, and principals across the country are required to complete training to ensure they understand what the new policies mean and what our obligations and responsibilities are as educators.
As a school, our dedication and responsibility are to ensure that all tamariki are safe both on-site and off-site during school hours. Kaiako, school leaders, and the Board at Tai Tapu School value restorative practices and reducing ākonga/student distress through calm, supportive, and safe practices. As a team, we use a variety of de-escalation strategies.
Our Kaiako/teachers are currently involved in the 'Retducing Learner Distress' training provided by the Ministry of Education. All must have completed this training by February 2024.
As this is a new policy, the school staff, principal, and Board are working on 'Best Practices' in the implementation of the requirements of the policy.
Below are resources and information important for all school staff, Board, and whānau to understand.
If you have any questions please contact the principal.
