A senior staff member at Waitaki Boys' High School has been stood down over an alleged incident ''of a serious nature''.
The school's board of trustees has also accepted an offer of support from the Ministry of Education amid concerns about pupil management and complaints received from the school community.
The Waitaki Boys' High School board of trustees yesterday confirmed it had received a report from rector Paul Jackson regarding ''an alleged incident of a serious nature'' involving a senior staff member at the school.
Board of trustees chairman Garry McLeod said the board would be initiating an employment disciplinary process.
When asked about the current status of the person in question, Mr McLeod said the staff member was ''not at the school''.
On Tuesday night, the board of trustees met Ministry of Education representatives to discuss concerns about pupil management and complaints received from the school community.
The board excluded the public from the discussion with the ministry's Otago-Southland manager, Kathryn Palmer, and senior adviser Lynn McKinney.
Mr McLeod said the meeting was taken in committee to prevent identification of particular individuals.
The ministry's head of sector enablement and support, Katrina Casey, said the meeting was ''very constructive''.
''The board acknowledged the concerns that were raised and welcomed the ministry's offer of support,'' she said.
''We will continue to work with the school until the issues are resolved to the satisfaction of parents and the wider school community.''
Mr McLeod said the meeting was ''reasonably positive'', giving the board the opportunity to ''put our side across''.
''The board of trustees takes very seriously its role in disciplining students,'' he said.
''We don't like to see any student stood down or suspended, but the school is keen that students display good behaviour, especially towards teachers.''
An Oamaru police spokesman said the last, and only recent, reported incident involving Waitaki Boys' High School was in March.
Police were called to the school hostel following a report of ''out of control'' pupils.
The ministry said Waitaki Boys' High School was scheduled for review by the Education Review Office (ERO) in the third term.
As part of its normal process, the ERO reviews the general wellbeing of pupils and staff, as well as a school's process for managing complaints.
- by Rebecca Ryan
