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New teacher guidelines on physical
contact with children call for common sense to ensure adult-child touching is
not misconstrued as abuse. The New Zealand Educational
Institute launched the more relaxed guidelines at its annual conference
yesterday. They replace an old code of
practice that was issued in the 1990s during heightened fears of child abuse
following Christchurch's Civic Creche scandal. The union represents 45,000
primary, preschool and support teachers. The new guidelines recognised its
members had physical contact with children during their work. Teachers were advised "to use
common sense in all areas of their interaction with children and be mindful of
situations that may expose themselves to unnecessary risk". Physical contact like cuddling
distressed children or changing nappies was "acceptable when carried out
in a professional and responsible manner that is age appropriate". The release comes a day after the
Early Childhood Council said kids were being "quarantined" from men
because of sexist recruitment policies linked to "paedophile
hysteria" of the 1990s. NZEI president Irene Cooper
acknowledged the previous code was more cautious, but said the new guidelines
reflected the social environment that schools and preschool centres now
operated in. |
