Sept 4, 2018, New Zealand Herald: More disciplinary action in Rotorua schools in 2017 than 2018 https://www.nzherald.co.nz/rotorua-daily-post/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503438&objectid=12114408 More disciplinary action was taken as a result of verbal or physical assaults on staff in Rotorua schools in 2017 than the year before but local principals aren't concerned. Figures released by the Ministry of Education under an Official Information Act request reveal the number of times a student was stood down or suspended for either a verbal or physical assault between January 2016 and August 2018. In 2016 there were 28 stand downs and 11 suspensions for physical or verbal assaults on staff. This compared with 2017 when there were 45 stand downs and seven suspensions. Overall there were 164 stand downs in 2016 and 219 in 2017 for any reason. There were 88 suspensions each year. The school with the highest number of stand downs due to verbal assaults between January 2016 and July 2018 was Rotorua Girls' High School with 20…. "The challenge we have is with children both with behavioural and mental issues." Stewart said at Rotokawa School each case was looked at individually but for a stand down or suspension to occur, there needed to be "significant harm done"…. Rotorua-based registered clinical psychologist Dr Erin Eggleston said schools were making a stand against violence but there were a few potential reasons for children to act out. "Let's think about this acting out behaviour as an underlying need we can tackle, understand or address. "Some consideration might be stressors at home, at school, [in the] community." Eggleston said some children might need to be upskilled in communication or emotional regulation skills and the behaviour may also suggest a mental health need or drug use….
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Childhood Lost
Children today are noticeably different from previous generations, and the proof is in the news coverage we see every day. This site shows you what’s happening in schools around the world. Children are increasingly disabled and chronically ill, and the education system has to accommodate them. Things we've long associated with autism, like sensory issues, repetitive behaviors, anxiety and lack of social skills, are now problems affecting mainstream students. Blame is predictably placed on bad parenting (otherwise known as trauma from home).
Addressing mental health needs is as important as academics for modern educators. This is an unrecognized disaster. The stories here are about children who can’t learn or behave like children have always been expected to. What childhood has become is a chilling portent for the future of mankind.
Anne Dachel, Media editor, Age of Autism
http://www.ageofautism.com/media/
(John Dachel, Tech. assist.)
What will happen in another 4 years? How can we go on like this? This is a national (and international) problem of monumental proportions. We have an entire new class of children who cannot be accommodated by the system: many are manifestly neurologically impaired. Meanwhile, the government and the medical profession sleep on regardless.
John Stone,
UK media editor, Age of Autism
The generation of American children born after 1990 are arguably the sickest generation in the history of our country.
Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
It seemed to me that with rising autism prevalence, you’d also see rising autism costs to society, and it turns out, the costs are catastrophic.
They calculated that in 2015 autism cost the United States $268 billion and they projected that if autism continues at its current rate, we’re looking at one trillion dollars a year in autism costs by 2025, so within five years.
Toby Rogers, PhD, Political economist
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