Bad behaviour study sought

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33653, 1 October 1974, Page 22

Bad behaviour study sought

(New Zealand Press Association) INVERCARGILL. A recommendation will be made to the Minister of Education (Mr Amos) by the Education Boards Association that a joint committee be set up to study behaviour problems in schools.

The association’s annual conference decided this after the chairman of the Canterbury Education Board (Mr E. S. Ayers) said that concern was felt towards those children within the community who suffered from apparent social deprivation and those who acted in an anti-social manner. Whether there was a specific relationship between social disadvantage and failure at school had never been clearly established, Mr Ayers said, but it would appear likely that children who failed to respond at school must, in many cases', be amongst those who, either in their childhood or subsequently, acted in an antisocial manner. “The time has surely come, however, when we should examine more closely the relationship between social disadvantage and backwardness at school, and similarly the cause of anti-social conduct within the community,” he said.

It will be recommended to Mr Amos that if a committee is set up to look into the problem it should examine the extent and nature of antisocial. conduct among children and early adolescents assess the measures available to them, and recommend further measures considered necessary.