Vaughan Couillault: Papatoetoe High Principal on taking parents to court over attendance

Parents will now be prosecuted if their kids aren’t attending school.

It’s the latest in a move to crackdown on truancy in the country.

The Ministry of Education will prosecute parents who repeatedly refuse to sed their children to school.

Papatoetoe High Principal Vaughan Couillault talks to Heather du Plessis-Allan about the decision.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Togever Do for z Ellen, Ministry of Education is going
to start prosecuting parents of kids who aren't attending school.
Prosecution will be considered for any student who misses fifteen
days or more in a single school term, which frankly
is a lot to miss. Vaughan quire is papatoy Toy's
High high school's principle and with us now have on, Hey.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
Here, they're welcome back. Hope everything's all right domestically.

Speaker 3 (00:23):
Yes, it is, thank you, that's why obviously.

Speaker 2 (00:26):
Oh of course it's the easier part.

Speaker 3 (00:28):
Absolutely, Listen, tell me do you support this?

Speaker 2 (00:31):
In certain circumstances, something like a prosecution could be appropriate,
But it's all about the journey that gets you there.
So certainly wouldn't be the first port of call because
it's not the way to build a meaningful learning relationship
in terms of his a fiscal or other sort of penalty,
But it could be appropriate and certain extreme circumstances.

Speaker 3 (00:53):
Which extreme circumstances, well.

Speaker 2 (00:56):
Mostly probably we're the grown up as at fault and
not the kid. So where you've got young children, where
the parents are refusing to engage in what is the
lawful obligation to test send kids to school in any capacity.
Is it's probably appropriate where you've got a thirteen year

(01:17):
old where the parents are desperate to get the kids
to school, where they keep turning left and going to
the mall as opposed to right to the school, probably
not appropriate. That's more of a learning conversation. But yeah,
that's an example where maybe the parents of an eight
year old just refuse to engage with anybody or anything.

Speaker 3 (01:34):
Do you and these people do exist? Do you have
some at your school?

Speaker 2 (01:38):
No, I haven't hit anyone that extreme. We have got
some school refusing students, but where the grown ups are
actively engaged in trying to get their students to school,
so that there doesn't seem to be any advantage in
fiscally penalizing a parent who is actively trying to do
their best. It's where the student and the parent are
actively trying to avoid the system where a fis school

(02:00):
penalty could be could be advantageous. But those I have
you yet to stumble across one in my career.

Speaker 1 (02:06):
Okay, Hey Vaughan, thank you very much, really appreciate your time.
Matevaughn c your puppet toy toy high school principle.

Speaker 4 (02:11):
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