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This page last updated 28 September 2006
2006-0928 - Timaru Herald - Get
over it
Editorial - It's been
15 years since the paedophile hysteria generated by the Christchurch Civic
Creche case, and it is time to move on. It is the children who are missing
out, especially today when so many of them do not have fathers at home
2006-0928 - Southland Times -
Sleaze and safety
Editorial - Most would agree that the safety of our children is
paramount but also that this is not achieved by clumsy superabundance of
caution, to an extent that creates excessive mistrust and an amplified
climate of fear. Guidelines for teachers' physical contact with children have
lost some of the stringency that was imposed by a 1990s code of practice
influenced by the Christchurch Civic Creche case. The Early Childhood Council
has warned our children have been getting "quarantined" from men
because of sexist recruitment policies linked to the previous decade's
"paedophile hysteria"
2006-0927 - The Press -
Teachers welcome relaxed rules
by Arwen Hann - Teachers
and education experts are welcoming new guidelines which allow them to have
physical contact with children when providing emotional support and
encouraging learning. The New Zealand Educational Institute (NZEI) has
published new guidelines for physical contact between teachers and children
that relax the previous code of practice, which advocated no contact.
2006-0927 - Southland
Times - New guidelines advise use of `common sense'
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
yesterday. They replace an old code of practice that was issued in the 1990s
during heightened fears of child abuse following the Christchurch's Civic
Creche scandal.
2006-0927 - Otago Daily Times -
Ellis says touching still issue
by Rebecca Fox - Convicted child abuser Peter Ellis is questioning
what has changed to make it safe for teachers to touch pupils. ..... Mr Ellis, who always maintained his innocence, said after
an approach to the Otago Daily Times, it had been 15 years since the Civic
Creche case and it was still not resolved, so what had changed to make it
safer for teachers to “pat a student on the back”? He was still fighting for his appeal to be
heard by the Privy Council. “It is not behind us, not dealt with,” Mr Ellis said.
2006-0927 - Nelson Mail - Okay
to touch - when appropriate
Editorial - ....One irony is that much of the hysteria traces to a
case that has, in many minds, been largely discredited. As solo parenting
levels increase, the best chance many youngsters have of receiving positive
male mentoring is at school. Sadly, the drop-off in men in the classroom
makes that less likely, too. Relaxing of the guidelines, meanwhile, places
even greater onus on the applicant screening processes of schools and
centres. And it will do no good at all if it encourages a good teacher to
give a child a supportive hug across the shoulders, only to face malicious
and potentially life-destroying charges. Safety will always come first, but
the pendulum's swing towards normality is most welcome.
2006-0927 - Dominion
Post - Touching guidelines change
by Lane Nichols and NZPA - 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.
2006-0926 - Timaru
Herald - 'Paedophile hysteria' scaring men
Children are being "quarantined" from men by sexist
recruitment policies in the early childhood sector linked to "paedophile
hysteria" of the 1990s, an industry body says. The claims follow
revelations men account for less than 1 per cent of New Zealand's preschool
teachers -- a figure tipped to drop further in a new report. Some say they
are too scared to cuddle a child or change a nappy.
2006-0926 - The Press - Men needed
for childcare
by Arwen Hann - Paranoia
surrounding child sex abuse is masking some of the real barriers to
recruiting men into childcare, experts say. The Early Childhood Council has
called for a government-led initiative to encourage more males into the
sector, saying the "paedophile hysteria of the 1990s" had led to
men leaving the profession and put off potential new recruits. "Many men
don't feel welcome in childcare," chief executive Sue Thorne said.
"They feel they will be treated as suspect until proven innocent."
2006-0926 - Stuff - Teachers'
physical contact rules relaxed
The new guidelines will recognise that
teachers and support staff will come into physical contact with children and
students during their work and said "this is acceptable when carried out
in a professional and responsible manner that is age appropriate".
2006-0926 - Stuff - Teacher hugs
get the greenlight
NZPA - A comforting hug has been deemed acceptable contact between
teachers and students, under new guidelines launched today. The new
guidelines for physical contact between teachers and children were outlined
at the annual meeting of the New Zealand Educational Institute Te Riu Roa this morning.
2006-0926 - Peterellis.org.nz
- The elephant in the schoolroom
Shovelling out elephant dung will do little
to remove the smell in the room if the elephant itself is ignored. Similarly
tinkering with policy will do little for male confidence in the teaching
profession if the root cause for the lack of confidence is ignored....... Potential
teachers will not be lulled by soothing words. They know that Peter Ellis was
convicted of imaginary crimes at the Christchurch Civic creche. And those
same potential teachers can see that the "problem of Peter" has
been swept under the carpet by educational groups. What confidence can potential
teachers have that they will be supported if they were to suffer the same
fate as Ellis?
2006-0926 -
One News - Teacher-student contact reviewed
Primary teachers can now touch students under revised guidelines. The
NZEI is releasing the new rules which are a revision of the 1998 code of
practice preventing all physical contact between teachers and students. President
Irene Cooper says the old guidelines were established when there was higher
level of anxiety in the community about contact between adults and children.
2006-0926 - NZ Herald - Teachers
can touch children, says union
by Claire Trevett - The primary teachers'
union will tell its members it is all right to touch children to comfort or
praise them, in a major shift in its advice about physical contact. The New
Zealand Educational Institute, which represents staff at primary schools,
early childcare centres and special education centres, will launch its new
guidelines on physical contact at its annual conference in Wellington today.
2006-0926 - Newstalk ZB -
Teacher-student guidelines relaxed
Guidelines relating to physical contact between teachers and students
are being relaxed. The primary teachers' union is launching guidelines today.
NZEI president Irene Cooper says the new rules replace those issued in 1998
which prevented any contact between teacher and student.
2006-0926 - Newstalk ZB -
Revised physical contact guidelines "sensible"
PTA vice president Margaret Mooney hopes the revised rules will
encourage more men to enter the profession. She believes male teachers should
be able to openly put an arm around a child to comfort them if they have
fallen or been hurt in the playground.
2006-0926 - Dominion Post -
Males victims of childcare 'sexism'
 by Lane
Nichols - Children
are being "quarantined" from men by sexist recruitment policies in
the early childhood sector, an industry body says. The policies are linked to
"paedophile hysteria" of the 1990s, it believes. The claims follow
revelations that men account for less than 1 per cent of New Zealand's
preschool teachers – a figure tipped to drop further in a new report. Some
say they are too scared to cuddle a child or change a nappy.
2006-0925 - Radio NZ - Teachers
get new touching guidelines
A re-write of the rules for physical contact between teachers and
children says not only is physical contact important; but teachers who adopt
a hands-off approach may be sending the wrong message. The New Zealand
Educational Institute, which is launching the guidelines at its conference
today, says the approach is much less cautious than in the past
2006-0925 - One News - Fears force
men from childcare
The Early Childhood Council says the paedophile hysteria of the 1990s
has caused a dramatic decline in the number of men opting to work in
childcare centres. New Zealand's largest representative body of licensed
early childhood centres has called for a partnership between Government and
childcare organisations to encourage more men into childcare.
2006-0925 - Newstalk ZB -
Children being "quarantined" from men
Sue Thorn, chief executive of the Early Childhood Council says with
few men working in primary schools and fewer in childcare centres, a society
is being created in where children are quarantined from men. She says the
paedophile hysteria of the 1990s has caused good men to vacate roles caring
for children
2006-0925 - Early
Childhood Council - Absence of men from childcare a national disgrace
New Zealand¹s largest representative body of licensed early childhood
centres has called for a partnership between Government and childcare
organizations to encourage more men into childcare. The call follows
yesterday's (24 September) Sunday Programme (on ONE) which revealed men were
more than two per cent of those working in early childhood care
(teacher-staffed, government-funded early childhood services) in 1992, but
less than one per cent today - and falling
2006-0923 - Otago Daily Times -
Male influences lacking in NZ preschools
Otago's largest early childhood education
provider the Dunedin Kindergarten Association has 60 staff working in its 22
centres this year. Most of these worked are teaching, and yet, only two of
the teaching staff are male. So why is this? Some clues were provided in a
study by Child Forum researcher and former University of Otago post graduate
student Sarah Farquhar who found the main reasons males were
under-represented in early childhood teaching included fear of child sex
abuse allegations, low wages and the perceived feminine nature of the work.
2006-0718 - Dominion Post -
Failed cases lead to fresh warning on male teachers
by Lane Nichols - Two failed prosecutions of teachers accused of
sexually assaulting pupils have prompted fresh industry warnings that men
will be scared away from the profession. Principals' Federation president Pat
Newman said the men's lives were needlessly destroyed and their families put
through hell. Primary schools were desperately short of male teachers and the
problem would get worse unless more men joined up.
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