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This page last updated 28 September 2006
2005-0724 - Sunday Star Times -
Draft teachers' code touchy about hugs
by Tara Ross - Touching
kids is OK for primary teachers, new draft guidelines suggest - but a look
might still be enough to get them into trouble. Primary teachers are debating
the draft drawn up by the New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) designed
to replace its controversial eight-page, hands-off code of physical conduct
introduced in the mid-1990s after the Christchurch Civic Creche case. Instead
of saying teachers should avoid touching children and being alone with them,
the guidelines say physical contact is "perfectly acceptable". But
they still warn about squeezing students' shoulders and hugging or eye
contact that might be misconstrued.
2005-0214 - NZEI Rourou -
Learning safe practice
Ken says he was told at teachers college that he should never touch
his students but realised that was not practical. “You can’t teach little
kids unless you do touch them. That’s my experience. It’s a question of how
and when and doing it appropriately, that’s what important.” “It’s a common
sense thing. It has to be defined, of course. I don’t see a problem with
touching a child on the shoulder. I don’t think that’s a sexual thing and
let’s be frank: that’s what we are trying to avoid. It’s not talked about in
those terms but that’s exactly what we don’t want to be accused of.”
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