School alcohol stand-downs rise, students also carrying drugs and weapons

Summarised by Centrist

Alcohol-related stand-downs in New Zealand schools increased over the past year, according to Ministry of Education figures obtained by 1News through the Official Information Act.

Between April 1, 2025 and March 31, 2026, schools recorded 452 alcohol-related stand-downs nationwide, up from 402 the previous year.

Drug-related incidents remained the largest substance-related category, resulting in 872 stand-downs, 211 suspensions, 39 exclusions and 13 expulsions.

Weapons-related incidents led to 374 stand-downs and 92 suspensions.

Under New Zealand’s education system, a stand-down temporarily removes a student from school for up to five days. Suspensions require school boards to decide whether students may return, while exclusions and expulsions permanently remove students from a school.

PPTA acting president Chris Abercrombie said the figures represented only “the tip of the iceberg”, warning teachers were dealing with alcohol, drugs and violence “every single day”.

He said schools increasingly reflected broader social pressures affecting communities.Deputy Secretary of Education Services Geoff Short said alcohol and drug figures had remained “reasonably consistent” over the past two decades overall, although physical assault between students remained the largest stand-down category nationally.

Auckland Grammar headmaster Tim O’Connor said students were being exposed to more harmful online influences than previous generations and urged parents to remain actively involved in their children’s digital lives.

The ministry’s wider stand-down and suspension data shows physical assault and continual disobedience remain among the most common behavioural categories across New Zealand schools.

Read more over at 1News

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