A mother and daughter have been charged with serious misconduct after they mistreated children in an early childhood learning centre.

The daughter worked as an educator and was charged with force feeding children, confining children alone in small rooms, and yelling and threatening children in angry tones. The Teachers Disciplinary Tribunal found that she roughly manhandled children by dragging them when they did not want to walk and by tightly wrapping them in sheets at bedtime when they had misbehaved. The teacher was also known to push children over and had held a child upside down and flicked or pulled a child’s ear. On one occasion she had allowed a child to eat soap and had also thrown a ball at a child to get their attention.

The Tribunal placed a condition on her practicing certificate forcing her to undertake a training course on appropriate behaviour and compelled her to have two years of supervision or mentoring. The daughter was also prohibited from working in a school where her mother was a senior staff member.

As the manager of the centre, her mother was likewise charged with force feeding and yelling at children. The Tribunal also highlighted that she had failed to stop and report her daughter’s behaviour and in this way had allowed an environment to develop where others were prevented from reporting abuse.

The Tribunal placed a condition on the mother’s practicing certificate prohibiting her from being involved in the management of a childcare centre for three years.

The Tribunal censured both teachers and ordered them to each pay over $800 costs.

 

Alan Knowsley

Education Lawyer

Wellington