15 JANUARY
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE
69

seek the co-operation of the local fire brigade to make the drill as effective and realistic as possible. (In the event of fire or any other emergency the first responsibility of the teacher is to ensure the safety of the children.)

19. School Security:

The school committee and the principal must take all reasonable precautions to ensure that school property is adequately secure against acts of wilful damage and theft. Each school must establish its own security procedures and staff must be aware of their responsibilities.

ORGANISATION AND MANAGEMENT OF SCHOOLS

26. School Hours:

The usual school hours shall be 9 a.m. to 12 noon and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.; but these may be varied by mutual arrangement between the school committee and the principal, provided that, in no case, shall the opening hour be earlier than 8.30 a.m. or later than 9.30 a.m. and that the Board is notified of such variations. Failing agreement between the committee and the principal the hours shall be decided by the Board.

27. Intervals:

Except with the prior approval of the Board the recess between morning and afternoon school shall be not less than one hour. At a convenient time during morning school there shall be an interval not exceeding 15 minutes, and during afternoon school there may be an interval not exceeding 5 minutes.

Note: This bylaw is subject to the exception provided in the Education (School Attendance) Regulations 1951 and its amendment No. 1, which allows a principal, with the prior approval of the school committee to curtail the lunch hour by up to half an hour and close the school correspondingly earlier where the weather conditions are such as to make it clearly desirable in the interests of the pupils to do so.

28. Detention of Pupils:

Teachers shall exercise discretion in detaining pupils after school hours as a punishment or for additional tuition but this must not exceed half an hour and must be supervised by a teacher. No pupil shall be detained during any part of morning or afternoon interval or during the midday recess. Without prior notification to parents no child shall be prevented from catching a bus to home.

29. Holidays:

(a) Special holidays for local requirements may be granted at the discretion of the school committee up to the number of half days allotted each year by the Board. Wherever possible the Board shall be given at least 7 days’ notice of such holidays granted by committees.

(b) Except in cases of dangerous weather conditions as provided for in the Education (School Attendance) Regulations 1951, no school shall be dismissed early or closed on days other than prescribed holidays without prior approval of the Board.

30. Behaviour of Pupils on Their Way To or From School:

Teachers shall do all in their power to secure the orderly behaviour of pupils on their way to school or returning from school to their homes.

31. Accidents to Pupils:

(a) A teacher is responsible for the welfare of the pupils and in this regard shall take all precautions that a prudent parent would take to avoid risk of injury or harm to the health of the pupils while they are at school. He must exercise discretion in meeting any emergency that may arise.

(b) In the event of an accident teachers shall render first aid but if the accident is regarded by the principal as a serious one a doctor should be called and the parents advised immediately.

(c) Full enquiry shall be made promptly into the cause of any serious accident and the principal shall immediately forward to the Board a full report, including witnesses’ statements. The chairman of the school committee shall also be notified.

32. Corporal Punishment:

(a) The principal shall be held responsible for the nature and extent of all punishments administered in his school but he may delegate to, or withhold from any of his assistants the authority to administer corporal punishment. (The Board takes a serious view of the misuse of corporal punishment and regards its frequent use as an indication of defective discipline.)

(b) Corporal punishment shall not be administered for minor misdemeanours, failure to achieve a desired standard of work or degree correctness, or for inability to learn or neglect to prepare home lessons. If administered at all, it is to be reserved for serious offences and administered only if likely to act as a deterrent to further misconduct. In no case is it to be needlessly severe, and it is never to be administered except after due consideration.

(c) Corporal punishment, when used, shall be administered with a natural leather strap (undivided) not exceeding 46 cm in length and not less than 4 cm in width and on the palm of the hand. Punishment with any other instrument, or with the hand, or on any other part of the body is expressly forbidden.

(d) Only in exceptional circumstances should girls be strapped and in no case is corporal punishment to be administered on girls over 10 years of age.

(e) Records of corporal punishments shall be kept by the principal for a period of 6 months. Such records shall be treated as confidential but on request they shall be made available to the Board or to any Inspector of Schools.

(f) IN THE CASE OF SECONDARY PUPILS in schools under the Board’s control the principal may establish a policy within the spirit of this bylaw for the use of corporal punishment by means other than that specified in subclause (c).

33. Persons Authorised to Give Instruction:

(a) Except with the approval of the Board, no persons other than teachers on the staff of a school, visiting departmental professional officers, and departmental and Board itinerant teachers shall take part in the teaching in any school.

(b) Except with the approval of the Board, no persons other than Officers of the Departments of Education, Transport, Health, Police, and Social Welfare. Members and officers of the Board. The chairman of the school committee or his deputy. Ministers and others appointed to give religious instruction. Visitors invited by the principal for the express purpose of implementing school subjects.

(c) On patriotic and special occasions the principal may invite other suitable speakers approved by the school committee to address pupils.

34. Police Interviews:

(a) A police officer may interview a pupil at school provided that such officer is in plain clothes and the interview is held in the presence of the principal or his deputy. The interview shall take place in some place of privacy. Prior to such interview the principal shall satisfy himself that the Police Department has taken the necessary steps to notify a parent or guardian of the pupil concerned to ensure that such person may have the opportunity of attending.

(b) A police officer may interview a teacher at school provided that such officer is in plain clothes and the interview is held in the presence of the principal if the teacher so desires. Any such interview shall take place in the principal’s room or in some other place of privacy.

35. Advertising or Canvassing:

(a) Except with the permission of the principal, no representative of any business concern shall meet members of the teaching staff for the prosecution of his business affairs during school hours or during any period immediately before or after school hours when teachers are required for school duties.

(b) School pupils shall not be employed as a medium for advertising in the schools for any outside concerns designed to bring profit to the promoters thereof.

(c) Teachers shall not distribute to pupils tickets for sale, or advertisement, for any entertainment or function not directly connected with their schools.

(d) Except with the written consent of the Board, teachers shall not circulate, nor permit to be circulated through the school, any leaflet or pamphlet or other printed or written matter of a commercial advertising nature nor shall they allow any advertisements or specimen articles of merchandise to be distributed or exhibited as advertisements on the school premises.

(e) No teacher is to use his school or allow it to be used during school hours for the dissemination of sectarian, political or other propaganda.

(f) Subject to the agreement of the committee and principal the taking of individual and class photographs is permitted.

(g) Subscriptions for any purpose other than purely school purposes shall not be invited nor received from school children except in respect of certain charitable organisations or appeals approved from time to time by the Board.

36. Contraception, Sterilisation and Abortion Act 1977:

No person shall sell or give contraceptives to any child at a primary or intermediate school while that child is on school property or engaged in any school activity.

37. Road Safety Instruction:

A principal shall devote such time to instruction on road safety as he, in co-operation with officers of the Transport Department, deems necessary.