Youth worker calls for health units in schools

&NewLine;<p><img class&equals;" alignright size-full wp-image-1659" src&equals;"http&colon;&sol;&sol;schoolnewsnz&period;fastrackdev&period;com&sol;wp-content&sol;uploads&sol;2015&sol;08&sol;SN18-wk1-health&lowbar;units-Tim&lowbar;Tipene&lowbar;1&lowbar;300x225&period;jpg" alt&equals;"SN18-wk1-health units-Tim Tipene 1 300x225" style&equals;"margin&colon; 5px&semi; float&colon; right&semi;" width&equals;"300" height&equals;"225" &sol;>West Auckland youth worker and founder of Warrior Kids&comma; Tim Tipene&comma; says the Kumar tragedy was preventable and calls for health units to be set up in schools to avoid it happening again&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p> <&excl;--more--> <&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;It is unacceptable that the Kumar family had to experience this loss&comma; it is unacceptable that shop owners and everyday New Zealanders have to live with the threat of violence&comma; it is unacceptable that there are children in need being overlooked and who end up becoming violent offenders&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Mr Tipene says&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Right now there are kids out there exactly the same as the two boys involved in the death of Mr Kumar&period; Kids with the same story&comma; same background and with the potential to make the same mistake&period; We need to intervene and stop this from happening again&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;Prevention is the key to addressing the violence in our communities&period; We need health units in every school throughout New Zealand where children and families can get direct assistance&comma; health units that provide weekly life-skills education geared to developing socially and emotionally competent New Zealanders&comma;&&num;8221&semi; Mr Tipene says&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>Units that focus on the mental health and wellbeing of every student and pay special attention to those most at risk are what&&num;8217&semi;s needed&comma; he says&period;<&sol;p>&NewLine;<p>&&num;8220&semi;If the government was at all serious about addressing the alarming rate of child abuse in our country and stopping violent acts such as that with Arun Kumar&comma; then they would be putting a lot more funding into prevention&period; We need to reach these kids at the top of the cliff&comma; not the bottom&period;&&num;8221&semi;<&sol;p>&NewLine;