A Child, Youth and Family senior staff member has been assigned to meet Dunedin North Intermediate principal Heidi Hayward to discuss her concerns about two 12-year-old pupils at the school who are being exposed to drug use.
The issue was raised when Ms Hayward wrote an explosive open letter to Government Ministers Anne Tolley, Paula Bennett, Nikki Kaye and Hekia Parata last Friday to express her deep concern about the lack of government funding and resources to help several ‘‘at-risk’’ children at her school.
In the letter, she detailed the living conditions of two of her pupils. One was a 12-year-old who was a regular drug user and only attended school up to two days a week.
The other, also a 12-year-old, was living with a parent who had serious mental health issues, and was exposed to drugs by another family member.
Child, Youth and Family (CYF) Southern regional director Theresa Perham acknowledged the efforts being made by teachers at Dunedin North Intermediate.
"Together, we are involved in ongoing efforts to address the needs of the children concerned, and are working collaboratively with our community partners."
She said a CYF senior staff member was following up with Ms Hayward to discuss her concerns, and see what more the organisation could do to make sure the needs of the children involved were being met.
"Child, Youth and Family recognises that educational achievement is a key factor in setting vulnerable children and young people on a path towards a successful future.
"Our social workers work closely with schools to support these vulnerable children to stay engaged in the education system.
"As teachers know, this work is not easy.
"The vulnerable children we are involved with typically have very difficult backgrounds often stemming from a chaotic and damaging childhood where they have been badly let down by adults in their lives."
In her letter, Ms Hayward said there was a time when she took solace in the belief that while she could not educate some of the at-risk children, she could at least provide comfort, safety and security for them five days a week.
"More and more, I feel that this is no longer possible and it is truly heartbreaking to be able to offer so little support, let alone an education, to these children.
"Consequently, these children are becoming more and more interested in gangs, and I can understand this given that they have so little support from the adults in their lives.
"While incredibly saddening, I am aware of the low probability of supporting these children in time, to prevent them from an almost inevitable prison sentence."
Ms Hayward said her school was just one of thousands struggling to keep its head above water in "a tidal wave of social issues" it was not funded or equipped to deal with.
"If we really want to see change, we have to start funding the cliff top and not providing the ambulance at the bottom".
