02/14/2013 12:56
I am part of a trust that employs two youth workers under the 24-7 scheme.
When the first hint came out that the 24-7 organisation was being canvassed over their willingness to help with truancy within the school they worked, there was immediately the thought of conflict around the core duties of the youth workers and the uplifting of truants.
There was also an issue around the contracts that the youth workers have signed with their respective employer who may or may not be the 24-7 organisation.
Of concern is the rule of law that engages anyone to deal with truancy issues.
Clearly there is a requirement for the school to appoint a truancy officer and this can't be done when the person they are using is not going to be an employee of the school.
What is clear though is that the Ministry is very forthright in telling everyone what to do particularly Truancy or NETS Officers when they are not the employer and have no legal standing over those people.
They only have immediate contact with the provider who employs the Truancy or NETS Officer.
So there are issues around who the employer of the youth workers might be, who appoints the 24-7 youth workers to truancy issues as is required by law, because the 24-7 collective can't and neither can any other trust or organisation that is not an education facility.
Under the education act any appointment must come from the BOT and not the MOE.
I can assure you that any form of truancy that comes by way of our youth workers will NOT be dealt with by them.
There is a serious conflict of interest and the MOE cannot direct them to do so as they do not pay them.
Comment
This is something I had out with the MoE a few times, but as usual I was not given the respect of a reply.
When I asked them at the Road Show Wanganui they said that the (new) attendance service will be working under Section 31 education Act 1989 (that was my query)
I also challenged that tagging Truancy onto a Social Worker (In schools) was an emotional 'conflict of interest' Their reply on their website was NO!
It was very clear to me that these people know nothing of the work of truancy which is a 'specialized' job.
Stephan