Independent views By Brendan Horan

Should students, stood down and disengaged from school, be considered a public health issue?

I recently read a paper titled ‘Being stood down from school is a cry for help' (Child Youth Mortality Review Group Auckland). Reading this paper, I'm left in little doubt students who drop out of school prematurely are more likely to engage in risky behaviour and to have negative health and social outcomes.

As a community, how can we better manage our ‘at-risk' kids? The report documents of youths who turn to suicide, 43 per cent had been stood down from school one or more times (the figures in BOP are similar). The mean age for youth suicide was 14 years, 20 per cent had a history of suspension and 17 per cent had been excluded or expelled.

The report records 60 per cent of youth who die from any cause had a history of being stood down, suspended or disengaged from school and Maori were disproportionally affected.

I support the view that young people should not be stood down from school without a comprehensive health, educational and psychological identification of protective factors and targeted intervention planned for them.

Reasons for stand downs include disobedience, gross misconduct, risk of harm to self or others.

I agree a stand down from school is a red flag for high risk of adverse outcomes; 'a cry for help”. It is my opinion this is the right moment and opportunity to do something real and meaningful for these youth and our community.

I look forward to Tauranga adopting this philosophy, that community matters – safe communities, safe families, safe children (young people).