Self-defence lessons effective against bullying, says counsellor

Steve Taylor, a counsellor of 14 years and a senior research fellow at AUT, believes New Zealand parents are unwilling to teach their children to fight back, and that this trait needs to change.

Warriors’ community programme is one for the books

They’ve lost more than games they have won in the early stages of the National Rugby League this season, but the New Zealand Warriors have been championing another cause altogether with their school literacy programme.
League in Libraries is run by the Warriors and printing company Konica Minolta. It aims to boost literacy levels and encourage [...]

The King returns to old haunt for school show

Hip-hop star King Kapisi rapped his way through a live gig for schoolchildren in his old neighbourhood of Mt Roskill last month.
He was at Hay Park Primary School, a decile-one school, where many of the children come from low-income, non-English speaking backgrounds.
Tim William – a local musician and member of New Zealand hip hop band [...]

Staff do all they can to get school life back on track

Staff at a Christchurch high school have been doing everything possible to ensure the February 22 earthquake has as little ongoing impact on students as possible.
Christchurch Boys High School guidance counsellor Tom Matthews believes counsellors are playing a “really important” role as students adapt to changes at school and at home.
“Some kids have had to [...]

ECE cuts ‘diabolical’ for children

Early childhood teacher Kim Heapai says Government funding cuts are “diabolical”, affecting 90,000 children and the quality of care at some childcare centres .
Early childhood education (ECE) centres in Auckland are struggling to make up a funding shortfall after the Government stripped $295 million from their budget last year.
Some centres have already cut the number [...]

Blog: New Zealand children ’screened out’

A few weeks ago, my nine-year-old brother became a fan of Harry Potter movies. He had just been given a copy of the latest DVD and off he rushed to watch (and re-watch) the movie.
Several days later he resurfaced, having grown slightly bored with the film and ready to watch something new.
Throughout those three days, [...]

The end of nuclear families?

Gay Turner loves watching the hundreds of kids who flow past her sunny office every day. As a primary school principal the 51-year-old works in what she calls one of the most “caring and maternal” professions in the world – but by choosing to not have her own children she has become part of New [...]

Psychologist calls for limited ’screen time’ for children

Children should have limited ‘screen time’ due to serious health concerns from over exposure, says a visiting British psychologist.

Dr Aric Sigman, an Associate fellow of the British Psychological Society, arrived in Auckland last week to speak at the annual Forum on the Family in Manukau City.
‘Screen time’ is defined as watching television, and the use [...]

Mentoring Children – Youth helping Youth

It started with a boy whose Dad committed suicide.
“We didn’t know how to help this young man, how to care for him, how best we could support him,” Shelly Green, the learning support coordinator for Monte Cecilia School in Hillsborough, explains across the coffee table.
Following the advice from a seminar, the eight-year-old boy was set [...]

Driveway tragedies a preventable ‘black-spot’

It is a tragedy that happens so easily, a parent running over their own child.
The death of a 22-month-old in Weymouth on July 25 has shocked safety advocates.
“These incidents are often so preventable,” says Mike Noon, Automobile Association director of motoring.
“Children are vulnerable, that’s what makes this so sad.”
Driveway injuries are the leading cause of [...]