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Katie Woolf spoke with NT Education Department Deputy Chief Executive Susan Bowden · 360 with Katie Woolf

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  Speaker 1: Three sixty with Katie Wolf thanks to Joyce Main, Darwin
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  Speaker 1: home z O and Stuart Highway Beerma. We have seen
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  Speaker 1: a bit of vision emerging of violence in schools around
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  Speaker 1: the Northern Territory. On Friday, there were reports of an
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  Speaker 1: incident at to midmin College which saw a year eight
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  Speaker 1: student being attacked by a year twelve student. Now joining
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  Speaker 1: us on the line to talk more about the situation
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  Speaker 1: is the Deputy Chief Executive of the Education Department, Susan Bowden.
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  Speaker 1: Good morning to you, Susan.
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  Speaker 2: Good morning Katie.
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  Speaker 1: Susan, what happened at the school late last week.
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  Speaker 2: So first of all, Katie, I just want to assure
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  Speaker 2: you that the department takes any matters like this very
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  Speaker 2: very seriously and that any form of violence, bullying or
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  Speaker 2: a harassment is not tolerated in our schools. So in
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  Speaker 2: terms of the incident that occurred on Friday, is it
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  Speaker 2: did involved two boys at the school, yep, and I
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  Speaker 2: have to let you know that both boys were related.
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  Speaker 2: So unfortunately, what we are seeing with some of the
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  Speaker 2: fighting that is occurring is that it occurs outside of
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  Speaker 2: the school and unfortunately it's being brought into the school
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  Speaker 2: and sometimes that's also as a result of social media.
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  Speaker 1: What was the reaction or what has been the reaction
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  Speaker 1: from the school and indeed the department in relation to
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  Speaker 1: that incident on Friday.
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  Speaker 2: So the incident, as I said, has been taken very seriously,
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  Speaker 2: and I did speak to the principal, Miss Sue Healey
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  Speaker 2: on the weekend, and she does care deeply about all
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  Speaker 2: of her students. So the families of both of those
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  Speaker 2: students have been contacted. There's been conciliation efforts made between
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  Speaker 2: the families, and I understand that the older boy has
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  Speaker 2: apologized to the family of the younger child.
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  Speaker 1: Okay, I know that some further visions emerged on the
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  Speaker 1: weekend of girls fighting at the school earlier in the months.
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  Speaker 1: What was the situation with that incident.
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  Speaker 2: So again, unfortunately, these are incidents that have been brought
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  Speaker 2: in to the school from things that are occurring outside
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  Speaker 2: in the community. But again, we take these matters really seriously.
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  Speaker 2: We ensure that children are supported and at t meen
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  Speaker 2: Men College, there are a number of supports at the school,
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  Speaker 2: including homeroom teachers. There's school counseling support at the school,
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  Speaker 2: and there's also additional programs like Contacts and Stars that
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  Speaker 2: also help children in these matters.
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  Speaker 1: I mean, has the school got an issue with violence.
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  Speaker 2: To men? Men? College is a fantastic school, and I
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  Speaker 2: think it's really unfortunate that these couple of events have
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  Speaker 2: overshadowed the great things occurring at this school. So in
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  Speaker 2: terms of the school, it had a great year last
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  Speaker 2: year with its Northern Territory Certificate of Education completers one
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  Speaker 2: hundred and twelve students, thirty more than last year. And
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  Speaker 2: I think it's really unfortunate when these few issues emerge
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  Speaker 2: and they do tarnish the reputation of these great schools
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  Speaker 2: and the work that those students are doing. Christ the
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  Speaker 2: majority of students are doing great things.
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  Speaker 1: Is said in the second instance that you know, again
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  Speaker 1: there was issues that are brought in from outside the school.
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  Speaker 1: How do you deal with that? Because I mean, I
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  Speaker 1: know that a lot of parents listening right now will
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  Speaker 1: be thinking, goodness, me, you know what could happen if
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  Speaker 1: my kids, you know, they're at a sport or something
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  Speaker 1: on the weekend and you know, things unfold the way
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  Speaker 1: in which I don't know, you know, might unfold at
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  Speaker 1: sport and then on Monday at school they're not safe.
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  Speaker 2: Well, I think it's really important that if parents notice
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  Speaker 2: that their children are anxious or withdrawn or disclosed that
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  Speaker 2: they're worried about being bullied or harassed, that they let
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  Speaker 2: the school know. So our principals always have an open door.
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  Speaker 2: They're always willing to discuss any matters that may impact
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  Speaker 2: on the welfare of their children and students at the school.
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  Speaker 2: So I certainly encourage parents to let the school know
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  Speaker 2: so we can try to nip it in the bud
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  Speaker 2: and so that it doesn't escalate into some of these
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  Speaker 2: other unfortunate events that we've seen recently.
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  Speaker 1: When we talk more generally about schools around the Northern Territories,
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  Speaker 1: not just the incidents in the rural area that we've
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  Speaker 1: seen sort of over the weekend, but how often do
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  Speaker 1: we have incidents like this happening in Northern Territory schools.
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  Speaker 2: They are rare incidents. And when I was looking at
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  Speaker 2: some of our suspension data around issues of harassment and bullying,
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  Speaker 2: we've actually seen a decline over the last four years,
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  Speaker 2: since twenty seventeen, and these kind of incidents. I think
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  Speaker 2: the challenge we have is with social media is that
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  Speaker 2: it's more public and it's escalated further, so it's not tolerated,
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  Speaker 2: it's not acceptable, and we do want to really sure
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  Speaker 2: families that if they have any concerns to let their
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  Speaker 2: school know what.
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  Speaker 1: Is the punishment if kids are involved in this type
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  Speaker 1: of thing, you know, or in a fight.
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  Speaker 2: So there are a range of measures that a school
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  Speaker 2: will put in place. They will look at restorative processes
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  Speaker 2: between the students and the children involved. As an absolute
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  Speaker 2: last resort, children may be suspended.
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  Speaker 1: Just say, you know, to parents like myself to make
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  Speaker 1: us feel more confident about our kids entering sort of
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  Speaker 1: middle school and high school when you see vision.
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  Speaker 2: Like this, Well, I can assure you, Katie that you
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  Speaker 2: and other families and I've got a daughter myself who's
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  Speaker 2: just started year seven and middle school, that it's really
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  Speaker 2: important as parents we support our children, that we check
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  Speaker 2: in with them regularly and if we are concerned to
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  Speaker 2: let the school know immediately.
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  Speaker 1: Do we need school based constables back in our schools,
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  Speaker 1: you know, in more of our schools to try and
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  Speaker 1: assist with this type of thing.
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  Speaker 2: So school based constables do play an important role in
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  Speaker 2: terms of relationship building between the police and students. If
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  Speaker 2: there is an incident that requires police assistance, the school
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  Speaker 2: will contact the general duties offices in the community, not
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  Speaker 2: necessarily school based police officers, but we do value the
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  Speaker 2: work of our police force and we do know that
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  Speaker 2: they've played a very critical and important role with the
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  Speaker 2: over nineteen response, so they have been required to be
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  Speaker 2: redeployed to support other community matters.
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  Speaker 1: So obviously discussions are underway though with police and I'm
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  Speaker 1: assuming with the Minister about sort of having more of
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  Speaker 1: a police presence within our schools.
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  Speaker 2: As I mentioned that if there is a police presence
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  Speaker 2: required because of an escalation of an incident, then we
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  Speaker 2: will immediately contact the general duties offices and communities and
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  Speaker 2: they are always very responsive and supportive of our schools.
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  Speaker 1: We are going to have to leave it there, Anti
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  Speaker 1: Education Department, Deputy Chief Executive, Susan Bowden. I appreciate your
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  Speaker 1: time today.
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  Speaker 2: Thank you, Katie.
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  Speaker 1: Thank you