Act wants to give teachers the legal power to remove disruptive students from the classroom. 

Staff would be able to use “reasonable force” to do so – and there’d be a mandatory stand-down or suspension for any students who assaulted another student, teacher, or staff member. 

Parents would be required to attend a meeting – if they don’t rock up, they could be fined $300 for a first offence, rising to $3000 for repeat offenses.  

But just how big is the problem here? Are classrooms really this disrupted and would these changes actually help? 

Today on The Front Page, Post Primary Teachers’ Association president Chris Abercrombie is with us to unpack what’s happening in schools, and whether this plan would make a difference or risk making things worse. 

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You can read more about this and other stories in the New Zealand Herald, online at nzherald.co.nz, or tune in to news bulletins across the NZME network.

Host: Chelsea Daniels
Editor/Producer: Richard Martin
Producer: Jane Yee