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Ministry of Education New Zealand
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Meeting flexibility#

How a suspension meeting is run is a matter for each board and the format does not have to be overly formal or court-like.

The Act does not provide for the calling of witnesses at a suspension meeting, this is not appropriate. Significant disputes about facts should have already been raised, decided upon and recorded by the principal in their report. Instead, the focus is on reviewing the principal’s decision, hearing from everyone and finding a way forward.

The student, the student’s parents, and their representatives are entitled to attend the meeting, speak at it, and have their views considered by the board before it makes its decision.

Students and parents may request to join the meeting remotely. If they choose not to attend or participate you may proceed with considering the suspension as you are required to make a decision before the suspension expires.

Adjournment to consider new information#

Important

In deciding on how long to adjourn for, you must consider the amount of time that the person making the request needs, in their particular circumstances, to consider the new information.

Even if you adjourn, you must still make a decision before the applicable date.

Timing of the suspension meeting

If you do not, the suspension expires, the student must return to school and the board loses the power to lift the suspension with or without conditions, extend it, exclude or expel.

You must adjourn the meeting if:

  • a student, parent, principal or board member requests an adjournment and
  • the adjournment is to consider new information, which either:
    • was not given to the student and parent prior to the meeting or
    • is new to the student, parent, principal or board member for some other reason.

The purpose of the adjournment is to consider new information (not to create it).

Withdrawal#

While you are deliberating and making your decision, you must either:

  • require all the other parties to withdraw from the meeting or
  • ask all the other parties to stay at the meeting.

If the student and parents are asked to withdraw from a meeting then the principal must withdraw too. This is because the principal has a different role from other board members at a suspension meeting and is not there as a decision maker.

If board members deliberate in private with the principal or ask the principal questions in the absence of the student and parents, this may lead to accusations of bias.